


Way Back Home

by Vaultie_and_Pup



Category: Lyatt - Fandom, Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, Anxiety, F/M, Flashbacks, Insecurities, Jessica’s a bitch, Kid Fic, Love, Mainly Wyatt’s pov, Nightmares, PTSD, Timeless, Toddlers, Twins, Wyatt and Jiya friendship, different timeline, different timeline stories, lyatt, married, pre-finale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2019-09-29 20:27:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17210366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vaultie_and_Pup/pseuds/Vaultie_and_Pup
Summary: Wyatt decides to encourage a teen in the past to do what he wants for his own future, completely forgetting how that could alter life itself.Now he’s got twins, boy and girl, and he’s married to Lucy who feels guilty about Jessica. What could wrong?*Takes place before finale and before Chinatown*I do not own this show or main characters





	1. The ignorance of a man

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place before Chinatown and the finale. The base of this story is common, it’s obvious and I’m sorry to say, we all want that alternate universe fanfic where they come back married and have a kid. I’ll try to keep it as original as possible.

The team was enjoying their rare day off together in front of the tv, watching the Twilight Zone on mute as each one would randomly jump in to create a new line for whoever showed up on the screen. 

Jessica was at work and it felt peaceful for the time being, but no one would admit that to Wyatt, of course not. 

Wyatt -being energized off of three cups of coffee the team bet he wouldn’t drink just for shits and giggles- hung upside down on the couch near Lucy and Jiya while Rufus sat between Jiya’s legs on the floor.  
“I’m so damn sick of the costs of newspapers these days.” Wyatt starts it out.  
“Newspaper, read all about it!” Lucy chimes in with a horrible but on point Boston accent everyone laughs at.  
“Here, take the damn quarter and give me my dead tree carcass.”  
“Why gee golly, sir! It landed on its edge!”

Rufus shifts, “I’m honestly surprised no one else threw a quarter in to knock it over, this whole episode would’ve been prevented if so.” The whole team agreed, even Flynn who was reading in the corner with a busted up shoulder.

“I low key spent a week trying to do this trick just before final testing in middle school,” Wyatt says as he folds his hands over his stomach, his tongue poking at his cheek repeatedly from the caffeine. 

“I would be surprised if someone didn’t try it after this episode,” Lucy huffs out as she stands to get more tea, scolding Wyatt for hanging upside down for too long. 

The alarm blares and resonates throughout the bunker just as the tea kettle goes off, everyone groaning and following behind Jiya who begins tracking the Mothership. Denise Christopher not too far behind as she comes up behind and throws back “May 27th, 1937,” to Lucy who’s tugging on some ratty pair of converse. 

Wyatt catches Lucy’s arm as she struggles to balance in her hurry to get her last sneaker on, “That was the official date the Golden Gate Bridge opened for use.” Her eyes seemed to search frantically in front of her and everyone could tell she was seeing imaginative events in front of her as she sorted through anything else but coming to a stop with just the bridge. 

“Didn’t we already jump to 1937? What month was that again?” Rufus called out from the Lifeboat as he started flicking switches, bringing it to life once again. 

Lucy was already on the stairs behind Wyatt as she quickly thought back, “Hindenburg, the crash was twenty-one days before the gate’s opening.” Wyatt leaned forwards to do her seat belt, catching her gaze with a smirk as he fastened it together. Her eyes casted upwards to focus on what Emma could be up to. 

“Hey, does anyone have a quarter for a newspaper?” 

 

~*~  
Wyatt was the first to swiftly steal his clothes and change, wearing a dark navy blue suit with matching vest and tie that had three white, thin lines cutting diagonally on it. He slung his jacket over his shoulder with his hat tipped to cover his face from the late spring sun. Rufus came three minutes later in maroon pants with a white button up, his sleeves rolled up and suspenders secured firmly as he pocketed his hands, his jacket hanging between his hand shoved in the pocket.  
“You got any clue as to why we’re here?” Rufus starts, leaning against the brick wall next to Wyatt as he started fanning himself due to the heat.  
Wyatt frowned. It doesn’t make sense to come here? “Nope, then again I don’t think I would know to begin with since that’s not in my job description,” he smirked to his friend. Rufus scoffed and shook his head, soon looking up to see Lucy crossing the street to meet them.

A shit eating grin slowly spread across the pilot’s face as he spotted her, “No way.” 

Wyatt glanced up to see Lucy wearing the casual day dress with the button up v-neck and collar, a matching dark navy blue and white that would pair with his suit. Her saddle shoes matching, and her hair was labeled as the “erotic style” from what he remembered she read to him when they discussed blending in more. It was really just big, loose curls that bounced with each step but it certainly held up to its name as they framed her thin, porcelain face. 

She looked up as she stopped fiddling her white purse, halting in front of Wyatt with a squeak of “Oh,” as she looked at his similar attire. He laughed at her adorable reaction and put his hands up in mock surrender. 

“I got my outfit first, just putting it out there.” He drank in her laugh as she rolled her eyes and started walking. Rufus and him took Lucy by an arm each to keep from losing her for the umpteenth time. To the world, it just looked like a young woman was having a quality time with her maybe husband and a dear friend. No one noticed as they ducked into an alley way briefly. “Purse please?” Wyatt asks as he untucks a portion of his shirt from the back to retrieve his pistol, ignoring the way his skin ignites when Lucy holds the purse open while her attention turns towards the opening near the street, her arm brushing his forearm briefly as he places the gun carefully inside. 

The team sat at the tables in the “kitchen” of the bunker, discussing better tactics to remain hidden while traveling. They decided on hiding Wyatt’s gun if it could be visible by having Lucy steal a purse every time since he rarely ever let her out of his sight. Lucy had to get a cheap and quick hairdo that was in at that moment or a little bit before. They figured safe bet for playing roles was for Wyatt and Lucy to pose as a couple given that they couldn’t pass for siblings if someone actually did question it (and someone noticed the nervousness when they threw out that Lucy was adopted one time) and well, Rufus made his point clear as to why he couldn’t saying it was because of his eyes which gained a laugh from his two friends. 

“Alright professor, what’s so important about this bridge?” Wyatt said as he fixed his hat while glancing out towards the people gathering near the bridge from a safe distance. 

“You mean besides being the first way to get from San Francisco to the other side without a ferry or ship?” She said looking around at their surroundings, she noted a hotel a block away and tugged on both of their hands to follow after her, “Come on, we’ll be more noticed if we stay in this alley for too long.” 

“It’s also really hot, just saying.” Rufus grumbled as his fingers pulled at his collar to alleviate the heat while she pulled them through the doors.

Wyatt nodded to the young bellboy who smiled at them, looking at the hotel’s designs. 

Lucy’s giggle caught his attention, “what?” He questioned confused as a smile rugged on the corner of his lips. 

“You’re scouting the place like you’re some interior designer, Logan.” 

He scoffed, mockingly offended. “Am not, I just noticed that I’ve stayed in this hotel before. Well, in our time at least.” His members nodded, seemingly bored yet interested with nothing else to do but watch out for Emma. 

Rufus shifted forward, “That’s cool, why’d you come here?”

The soldier slinked back in a chair in the lobby, “I was on vacation time early and was going to surprise Jessica,” he hated how Lucy flinched and how he even brought it up to begin with, “I didn’t get to surprise her until two hours later because this elderly doorman, really nice man, asked about my life out of boredom and found out I was delta force so he told me about his years in the military.” He smiled at the memory, but quickly frowned when he thought of him some more. 

“What’s wrong?” Lucy asked worried. Wyatt was quick to wave her off.

“Nothing, I just remember how defeated he looked when he mentioned he had been working practically his whole life at this hotel. Said his military days were probably his best.” It was truly heartbreaking to hear, Wyatt remembered the man clear as day because he reminded him of his late grandpa Sherwin. How he instantly smiled whenever someone happened by. 

Lucy gently placed a hand on his shoulder and patted it, allowing herself this much since Jessica was in the picture. “I’m sorry, Wyatt.” 

He smiled at her with gratitude, biting back the urge to hold her hand and kiss her knuckles to show he appreciated her sincerity. “Why don’t you and Rufus scope around the hotel and I’ll watch by the window for the devil. Rufus looks like he needs a drink anyways so they might have a drinking fountain somewhere.” They mutely nodded their heads and Wyatt sent a genuine smile Lucy’s way when she handed her purse over to him, saying how she was going to help Rufus find a drink and she would be back. 

He was just playing his part, looking like a kind husband willing to watch his wife’s purse without a second thought.  
Wyatt’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration at having to “play the part”. It was for all of their safety and they had done it before, yes. But now he had to hold back on a lot. 

Having Jessica back was a lot to process. Sometimes it was like she was too good to be true. And he meant that. 

Her attitude towards him was more loving and a bit possessive. He was nearly holed up in his room half the time because she didn’t “know” how to bond with the others. 

“Are you alright, sir?” A hand landed on his soldier out of curtesy and concern, startling Wyatt as he kicked the reflex of grabbing his gun. He turned to see the young bellboy give a sheepish smile, “Terribly sorry, sir. Didn’t mean to frighten you.” 

Wyatt forced a smile, “It’s ok, kid. Just lost in my own mind for a second.” He noted how the kid- Frederick as his name tag said- seemed bored, shifting on his feet. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” He offered, Wyatt chuckled. 

“Sure, what’s your name kid?” He asked, turning to give his full attention to the teenager while having a eye on the window. He knew his first name but it was a start to a conversation at least. 

“Frederick Trenton Jr., sir.” Wyatt’s eyebrow rose in regards to the jr part. It always made it sound so fancy. 

“Alright, what do you want to do, Frederick?”

“What do you mean, sir?” He asked, leaning forwards with his hands on his knees. 

“Your future, what is it you want to do?”

“Oh,” he slumped back, “I don’t think I can do anything besides this, honestly. My parents expect me to help pay for the necessities and such. It’s also safe and good pay.”

Wyatt noticed he was trying to convince himself of this job more than the man in front of him. He frowned. 

“But what is it that you want to do?” Frederick’s eyes widened comically, almost as if no one has ever asked him that. 

“Why, I want to, I want to have a family and cook at my own restaurant!” The kid had gumption, Wyatt could tell as he allowed himself to smile. “I love to cook and there is this pretty girl named Sara who stops by every now and then to bring flowers for the hotel’s accents. She’s so beautiful with her golden hair and green eyes, I can barely speak around her.” 

A stab went through Wyatt as he knew how that felt, his eyes flicking down to Lucy’s bag and feeling guilty for not feeling that way about Jess anymore. 

Regret rushed through Wyatt as he thought about having to let Lucy go to do the right thing, how he wanted her to tell him to stay and be hers when he called her that day to inform her that Jess was alive. He would give anything to change it without hurting anyone. His eyes flitted up to the boy.

“Then man up and get your girl. Get a cooking job and earn enough to own your own restaurant. Don’t let the fear of change stop you, kid.”

Frederick stood up, “You’re right sir, thank you, sir!” He said as he took off. 

Wyatt felt a little happy knowing the kid was going to try and live life to his fullest thanks to him. 

He looked up just in time to see Lucy running towards him and almost knocking him sideways, off the couch as she came to a stop. Rufus right behind her breathing just as heavily. 

“Wyatt,” Lucy rasped. “Emma is going to take the finalized blue prints that’ll be put away at some point,” 

“Having the finalized copy and notes, she can go back farther to when they first started constructing or even before that and be granted money if she presents everything.” Rufus followed after as he sat down. 

Lucy sat by his side to continue, “Rittenhouse has a powerful feature to America if they get their hands on blue prints and play it to their advantage.” 

“Let’s go find them before she does.” He says, the time team making their way towards the busy streets.

~*~

It took four hours before they finally located Emma, who also struggled finding the blue prints just like them. Lucy didn’t get kidnapped this time, much to everyone’s relief, and they were so close to grabbing the blue prints from Emma’s hands when one of her goons stupidly shot the case it was sealed in and it fell into the abandoned warehouse barrel fire they had to keep warmth when the night turned cold. 

Emma took off, the one idiot now dead from his rookie mistake. And the three of them now sat in the machine as the door slid shut. 

“I cannot believe we just got the Golden Gate Bridge blueprints destroyed.” Lucy all but moaned in total despair. 

Wyatt tried to lighten the mood, “Well, we didn’t. Her henchman did.” 

“Not helping,” she snapped as she rubbed her temples while he breathed out a quick “sorry”.

Rufus was flipping his last switch when he muttered for them to hold on. 

“I think I’m gonna actually hurl this time,” Wyatt choked as the whirling came to a halt and the door slid open, quickly rushing just to dry heave nothing out whatsoever. “False alarm.” He muttered. 

“Wyatt,” Lucy mumbled.

Wyatt sat up and started to unbuckle her, “When will we think to start bringing Dramamine on these trips?” 

“Wyatt?”

“Or even saltines or ginger ale, like really.”

“Wyatt!” 

“Jesus Christ, what?” He huffed. 

“Look out the lifeboat,” Rufus whispered. 

And he did. 

It was bare and anything that was in site was covered up with white tarps or dust. No computers or couches and a tv, no Jiya or Mason conversing on how to improve the Lifeboat, no Agent Christopher ready to debrief them, not even a Flynn scowl to make Wyatt’s day. 

“Well, we’re royally fucked.”


	2. To be broken and alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened the day of Mason Industries's explosion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little more lengthy and gives more story to what happened after the explosion that destroyed Mason Industries. There are 4032 words in this chapter.  
> *This chapter contains a lot of swearing, injuries with description, and dark insecurities.  
> *Major Lyatt thoughts

Lucy sat there, her face paled and too weak to even swat at Wyatt for his use of profanity within that moment.

The bunker was desolate of any signs of life aside from the three. Like it was never touched to begin with.

Rufus's hands shot up and held his head as he leaned forwards in his pilot seat muttering "shit" repeatedly. Wyatt's hands kept running through his once dapper looking hair, now a mess, as he kept going over the events that took place in 1937. Lucy was wondering how the hell she would get down in the first place since there wasn't even a damn ladder in sight.

Wyatt was right; they were royally fucked.

"We're in the correct date, right? I mean we have to be. We haven't figured out how to travel into our own timelines. We're in the right date, yeah? Rufus, dammit!" Wyatt panicked as Rufus still kept saying the same word over and over.

Lucy swallowed thickly, her hand absentmindedly reaching for Wyatt's who in turn, gripped hers just as tightly. "There has to be a protocol for this, right?" She laughed meekly.

She squeaked when Rufus's head shot up and he leaned forwards quickly, his hand going to the back of her head as he kissed the top of it. "Lucy, you are a damn angel." He swirled in his seat and began fiddling with the controls as Wyatt and Lucy watched from behind. "Connor and I once posed a hypothetical 'If there's a chance we come back and our base isn't here' situation. We toyed with the idea a few times but never set it in stone, this was after the French and Indian War by the way," he said which earned sour faces from both Lucy and Wyatt as they recalled one of their least favorite trips. "We ultimately agreed on staying right where we are and sending a signal that's only allowed when the Lifeboat is in critical condition and requires a backup team to track our location." He was so damn fluent with his actions as he flipped the various switches and messed with some grids. "Naturally, we knew to disconnect the signal source from connecting to the Mothership given how beautifully that could end up what with us on Emma's shit list. If I send this in the present and don't send a code with it, he'll hopefully understand that something must've shifted in the timelines and prevented us from coming back to our base. But with disabling the connection to the Mothership to protect the Lifeboat, the signal will come out in fragments to them since we're taking the key component out of the equation. So it may take awhile."

Wyatt frowned, "How long is awhile?"

Rufus didn't turn back, "Uh, like, five or six hours at most?"

"Holy hell." Wyatt grumbled as he loosened his tie and ditched the vest, unbuttoning the first couple buttons at the collar of the shirt. Lucy did everything she could to not notice how easily sexy Wyatt could be sometimes without realizing. "What time is it right now?"

Rufus glanced at the screen, "6:47".

Wyatt pinched the bridge of his nose, "AM or PM, Rufus."

Lucy winced as she saw the clock dash.

"Um, PM." Rufus muttered, earning a loud groan from Wyatt who just wanted to sleep and be done with the day. "We've been gone for hours, probably even more than a day."

This time it was Lucy's turn to complain, "I just wanted some fucking tea." Her hands coming up to remove the jewelry and shove it in her purse, pointedly ignoring the shocked stares from her teammates.

"Lucy swore. That's it. I'm staying right here, behind my desk. I'm not moving for shit." Rufus rambled.

Wyatt leaned forwards with a sigh, "Should we try figuring out what could've went wrong? I know the burning of the blueprints couldn't have caused this." He was so tired. These past two days had drained him and he just wanted to fucking rest and eat. To be stranded like they were in 1754 was one thing. But to be stranded in what was once their home and base of operation that's now a long forgotten place and having to be stuck in the god damn Lifeboat because 1) there's no ladder, 2) the floor is harder than Mason Industries was and there's no platform, 3) they're not allowed to step on the whirling bit of the time machine since the explosion because it's "sensitive" and 4) Wyatt's pretty sure he saw a giant as rat down there which Lucy hates.

Lucy slid down from her seat to the cold metal floor, leaning her head back on the seat with her eyes closed and thinking. Her nose scrunched up a bit, which Wyatt found adorable but hey, that's not the point. "No, no we did everything by the book this time. No casualties besides her guy who ruined the blueprints. I can't think of any variables that could have caused, well this." She gestured using one arm to the outside of the Lifeboat without looking up.

Rufus joined Lucy on the floor, more huddled into the corner between her chair and his control panel. Wyatt followed suit and they sat there, boredom resonating off one another.

"So, anyone know how to pass time?" The pilot tried with a cheeky grin.

"Shut the hell up, Rufus."  
~*~  
It as 10:39PM, and the gang was overtired and doing anything they could to try and stay awake.

"No, no. You got it wrong." Lucy took Wyatt's outstretched arm and aimed it more to the left than where he was pointing. "That one is Benjamin. You were pointing at Lincoln."

Rufus squinted into the darkness of the bunker, the only light coming from inside the Lifeboat. He almost fell out trying to see the rats that had come out from their sleep. "Wait, I thought that one was Roosevelt."

"God dammit, Rufus. We already established that the fat, brown furred one with the wonky eye was Roosevelt. You're looking at Ford right now." Wyatt complained as his chin rested on Lucy's shoulder.

There was only so much space inside of the Lifeboat. Wyatt sat in the corner of his chair and near the door of the Lifeboat with his knees up and arms resting against them while Lucy leaned against his chest so they could give Rufus more room to not sit in a stuffy chair.

Not that Wyatt was complaining about their current seating arrangements though.

Having Lucy relax her back against him and would occasionally snuggle closer without realizing took some stress away from this whole situation to begin with.

It was cold and they couldn't close the Lifeboat since they already tried it until Lucy started to take in the situation and began hyperventilating.

"Well if my memory serves me correct," Rufus pointed to the two rats near where their TV once was. "That's JFK and Marilyn going at it right now."

Wyatt and Lucy looked like a couple based off how they were sitting, but now they were both squinting to see the two rats acting like bunnies.

Wyatt let out a whistle, "Well I'll be damned."

"Nice to know rodents prefer to keep history intact too." Lucy quipped.

~*~  
It was 1:21AM and they were all out.

Lucy laid completely on her back when Wyatt migrated in his sleep to lay on her chest, Rufus had his head in her lap. Rufus's jacket served as a pillow for Lucy while Wyatt's jacket was her blanket-aside from the two grown men looking like children that also provided more body heat than she ever could.

It was dead silent, even the rats were asleep again.

A loud crash rang through the bunker, the sad part was, that's not what woke the team up.

"You've been gone for more than a day, where the hell have you all been?!" All three jolted awake to Agent Christopher's voice ringing everywhere at once. She ignored how childish they all looked with Wyatt sitting on his hind legs with his cheek red from where he was laying, rubbing his eyes. Rufus wiping drool off with his shirt collar and checking his breath. And Lucy who covered her eyes as electricity powered through. "How the hell did you get the Lifeboat here? What happened?"

"With all due respect, we landed at the base we were taught to return at." Wyatt quipped back, hoping she would chill the hell out given the circumstances. He felt some relief flood through him knowing they all still existed, that Denise and Connor still existed, that they were found.

She leaned forwards on her heels, "This 'base' is two hours away from your actual base." She reprimanded, moving a step when Connor rushes in and plugged the correct coordinates in after her men slammed a ladder to the time machine, "You're all going to be sent back to headquarters and wait for further instructions."

Everyone all figured it once the Lifeboat landed, but to hear her say it along with their actual base being further away from here should've had them panicking. No one could even focus on her or her scoldings as their eyes kept drooping and their minds going fuzzy with the lack of sleep in them. They had spent hours running in the hot blazing sun after Emma and searching extensively for her and the blueprints. To the team, she just gave another order to follow over the loud noise her scout team was making as they investigated the bunker thoroughly.

The time team grumbled as they sat back up and buckled in, dazed and not in their right minds to process anything going on as Mason took the fourth seat to join them. Even Connor could sense something was off.

~*~  
When the Lifeboat opened, Wyatt and Rufus instantly saw the day the bomb went off and Lucy felt that fear come back of losing them both and only having a newspaper article to show for it.

Mason Industries. Still alive. Still up and running.

~*~

_He paced as much as he could within the small area of the Lifeboat, his phone pressed against his ear as he tried for Lucy's for the 12th time just in the Lifeboat alone. He tried her cell twenty minutes after she left asking if he should grab her costume and set it aside for her by her changing room, but she only responded to his text of it. Then coming out of the wardrobe dock he started to feel that something was off, trying for her cellphone again but only getting her voice mail._

_"This is Lucy Preston, I'm sorry I missed your call and will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you."_

_Wyatt had the damn thing memorized by the third call in the Lifeboat, Rufus soon did too and would repeat it along with Wyatt as he prepped the Lifeboat. He would be annoyed if it wasn't for her cheery voice that came up every time._

_He was in a 70's disco get up, dark blue with diamonds of a little lighter faded blue accompanied by a gold necklace. He always pretended not to care about some outfits but inside he was mocking himself._

_It was disco for the love of god._

_His thumb tapped to end call when the "Thank you" came up again, hearing Rufus flipping the last of the switches. "We're good to go. Where's Lucy?" The pilot had tuned out his calls after call number eight, Wyatt just finishing call number 31._

_A frustrated sigh escaped from him as his right arm that held his phone dropped to his side, "I don't know," Rufus nodded along. "I've called, texted. She's not answering." The sadistic part of his mind that loved to torture him into oblivion entertained the thought that his talk of being open to possibilities scared her off. That she didn't see him like he was finally allowing himself to see her after he tampered those thoughts away._

_So many damn thoughts away._

_From seeing her in a jail cell in 1937 and wanting to reach out and see if she was just as soft as she looked. 1865 as she walked out from the divider she changed behind and nervously presented herself in a dress that had Wyatt envious of Lincoln who would be with her the entire time, or when he wanted to wipe her tears away and hug her when she cried over the most favorite president this country had seen as he settled for holding her hand and hoping to convey his sympathy through his gaze. 1962 when he was caught in a futile attempt to save Jessica with the lamest idea he could grasp from a corny sci-fi flick, and she just...understood him, and supported him. 1944 when he had to witness the many flirty advances from, the man behind James Bond, Fleming gave her way and felt true jealousy resurface in him after so many years._

_Those weren't even the ones where he knew he was screwed completely._

_1836, he finally opened the gate that held his dark and twisted thoughts at bay despite how often they would slip through. He was going to stay there, in the battle of The Alamo. He was going to die...he wanted to die. What good was he if he couldn't do his one fucking job? He was delta force for Christ's sake and he couldn't take down one time hopping terrorist? He really was worthless._

_And then she was there in the flurry of flying bullets and dirt kicking up from the ground, latching onto his arm before he took her into his chest when there came a close call a foot away. He knew he seemed pathetic saying he lost everyone he cared about and he was going to give his life to help the men fighting._

_He never saw her coming though. He never saw her soul coming outside her body as she held his face in her hands pleading to come back with him, saying she trusted him and needed him. He knew his eyes were watering from everything rushing through his mind, seeing his comrades from distant memories appear before him, having the dirt fly everywhere, and knowing that this one amazingly beautiful and brilliant woman was talking life back into him._

_It took four more trips until they unknowingly ran into the dynamic duo, Bonnie and Clyde in 1934. He would be lying if he said the charade of being an infamous bank robber with Lucy didn't excite him because this was the Bonnie and Clyde. And from meeting them, Lucy and Wyatt became an actual thing, they would always be paired off together for a team._

_Yeah, it was an act they walked themselves into and yeah, he could've played it safe and gone with the sister trope had it not been for that rock Lucy had on her ring finger that was part of another act called her life._

_He never meant to do it in the first place, he panicked and tried to sell the bit to Clyde._

_Kissing Lucy was like waking up for the first time from a nightmare. Her brown eyes stared up at him in shock, understanding, and something he couldn't figure out but wanted to believe was similar to what he felt. He came aware of everything she did from then on. Like the kiss connected them in an inseparable bond like no other that tethered their souls tightly. She was dangerously beautiful, he didn't deny it to himself when he first opened his eyes to her in the waiting room. He knew when he walked away from her in the wardrobe dock he screwed things up for himself and he couldn't bring himself to regret it either._

_Rufus had reached up to flick another switch, "Where'd she say she was going again?"_

_Wyatt looked out near the computers in hopes she would be clumsily running up to meet them, "Her mom's I think," as he obsessed over how to reach her._

_"Girl's been obsessed with trying to get her sister back. Now that she can, she's late?" Rufus huffed incredulously._

_Another sigh escaped from the soldier, "I'll try her again," thumb already hitting her name to call as he pressed his cell to his ear, looking out at the lab with one foot on the opening to balance him. He heard the phone ringing on the other end but started to hear total silence as he saw a canister of gas blinking rapidly, strapped to a desk in his view. He briefly heard the beeping before his delta force instincts kicked in, "Look out!" was all that he could manage as the canister already erupted into flames threatening to come closer within a millisecond._

_He only remembers turning away from the fire in his nightmares, him weakly throwing himself on the back of Rufus's chair to shield him from the blast. There was sharp and excruciating pain that seared through his backside as the flames hit him and metal and glass cut into his skin._

_He does faintly remember being pulled out of the wreckage that filled with Lifeboat. He remembers opening his eyes that stung from the smoke and seeing Agent Christopher looking at him with fear and worry. He strongly remembers going to an off sight location with doctors at the ready to tend to Wyatt's injuries. Rufus only had mild thanks to him._

_He hates to remember being in the make -shift hospital Denise had made just for him in the abandoned warehouse where the time team stole the Lifeboat._

_There had been a room that was offset from the large opening of the place. He opened his eyes after awhile and shot up right, screaming in agony from his forgotten wounds that were fresh. He searched frantically around the room, looking past the doctor and nurse and Denise that watched him._

_"Lucy?" he was out of breath as he finally landed his gaze on Denise._

_She stepped forth with the facade of calm for him, "Master Sargent Logan, I'd advise that you t-"_

_"Where the hell is Lucy?" Wyatt growled, vividly scared and pissed. He had cuts all up and down his body, his whole back was either bandaged or stitched and his rib was cracked from the blast forcing him further into the Lifeboat chair. His breathing came back, but it was fast and uneven. "Denise, so help me god.."_

_"Wyatt Logan, I need you to remain calm and rest."_

_"Where the fuck is Lucy?!" he was screaming, his mouth watery and lip was split and busted as he went ballistic trying to get out of the cot they had set up. The doctor rushed to clean the blood trailing down his face and overflowing the bottom lip's surface as it collected on his teeth. "Get the hell away from me!" he backed up against the wall, shoving the doctor as he began hyperventilating. "No one fucking touch me!"_

_'Where is Lucy? She knows how to relax me. She knows me.'_

_"Mr. Logan!" Agent Christopher screamed. "Calm down!"_

_"I want Lucy!" He was only getting louder and more worked up. He was in so much fucking pain but he needed to know she was alright, "Where is she!?"_

_She tried being more cautious, "I'm having my team search the wreckage now, but we haven't found her yet. Wyatt, I want you to rest."_

_He stood up and tried making his way over to her when his legs gave out, "What I want is fucking Lucy!" He yanked away from the hands that tried to help him back up onto the cot, "Get the fuck off me!" Wyatt didn't even notice the choked tone that came with every word, or the tears streaming down his face as his vision blurred._

_"I need restraints in here!" Denise shouted near the door as two armed men rushed in and took an arm each from the overwhelmed soldier, cuffing them down to the metal bars of the cot. "I'm sorry, Wyatt. We'll find her." He could barely make out the empathetic look she wore as she walked out with the two men, doctor and nurse._

_Wyatt screamed for Lucy until he dry heaved over the edge of his cot that was screwed to the floor, his throat was raw and he didn't know whether he should be ashamed he was sobbing or not. His sounds bouncing off the walls back to him reminding him of his failures._

_He was locked in the small space, cuffed to a horrible cot with a majorly twisted wrist that the doctor would discover in the morning when he had exhausted himself to a day's sleep. His palms bled from where his nails cut into the skin and he had abrasions on both wrists from trying to break free to find the historian._

_She couldn't be dead. It wasn't possible. He trusted her. He said he would protect her._

_Confined in a room, hurting in more places than one, he was alone and heard so many voices that night; filling his head with his worst fears as he grew colder. Wyatt Logan was broken._

_"Please," he choked out, begging, "I fucking need you, Lucy."_

~*~

"We screwed up so bad," Rufus rushed out, his thoughts speaking for the rest of the group.

Connor grimaced from behind the back of his hand that covered his nauseated mouth, "Relax, Rufus. So you put in the wrong coordinates by mistake."

Lucy, Rufus and Wyatt all rushed to unbuckle.

"Never thought I would ever hear or say these words again, but conference room. _Now_." Wyatt said jumping down and taking the path that was ingrained into his memories, his friends following close behind.

Connor Mason stood peering out of the Lifeboat with one hand braced against the rim of it, "What are you guys doing? Christopher won't be back for another hour or so by helicopter!" The team paid him no mind as they all stiffly yet hastily bolted to the glass encased room.

Lucy collapsed into a chair with her heads in her hands, "What did we do? What went _wrong_?" Her leg kept bouncing in nerves, trying to fix this puzzle they brought upon themselves. Connor walked in finally looking at the team.

"What the bloody hell are you guys doing?"

Wyatt rubbed his face with a hand on his hip, "Connor, shortly after returning from 1954, was there ever an explosion here?"

The tech genius scrunched up his face disgusted, "What?"

"Was there a bomb?"

A look of realization crossed his face as he finally understood what Wyatt was getting at. "Ah yes, Rittenhouse's most memorable effort."

"What do you mean effort?" Wyatt exhaled. This wasn't right. A good part of Mason Industries was in shambles and falling. He had the damn scars to prove it. "This place was destroyed, Connor."

His eyes widen, being slow on the uptake given the risk of time traveling and should have expected this to happen at some point. "Oh no, different timeline." He sat in the chair next to Lucy. "The bomb was a good twenty some minutes away from detonating when one of Denise's officers took notice of it and we had a bomb squadron team rush here to diffuse it. Since then, the building has posted guards in and out, anything within a two mile radius gets checked if it wishes to enter now just for cautionary purposes and obviously with good reason. "

Rufus stands near him with an overwhelmed look, "In our timeline no one noticed the bomb but Wyatt at the last second. " He rushed to grab the pads and pens left in the center of the table trying to map out everything that occurred between the original timeline to when they jumped back and what was different.

Lucy grew more sick as she listened to Rufus and Wyatt tell Mason how the day went down and what happened after, picturing it all vividly like her nightmares gave her from before. Wyatt never mentioned what happened to him. She didn't need to worry about that.

It was a good half hour before Agent Christopher showed up confused and furious.

"Anyone care to explain what the hell happened?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, the twins are coming soon and everything will soon make sense.


	3. Pardon my mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lengthy but important chapter,  
> *Plot twist  
> This took so much research on the show to figure out how to do this chapter tbh, but the story starts kicking off at the end.

Even though no one spoke to answer her question, the room was so damn loud with the rushing thoughts between the men and Lucy. Where the hell were they supposed to start? So much had happened from just inside that bunker and now they have to find all the pieces that's strewn across this new timeline and put it all together?

Everyone scribbled across their own pads as they thought of every single small detail they could think of that could've disrupted their original timeline and thrown them a present where Mason Industries was saved and untouched. 

"I'm waiting."

Lucy took the hit and inhaled deeply with a shaky breath, "The timeline changed again, we just came back to a different life." Denise already figured as much but waited for Lucy to continue as she would jot things down whenever something came to mind. "Something happened in our trip to 1937; when we left, our base was in that bunker that you found us in."

Wyatt was quick to jump in, "In our timeline Mason Industries didn't survive. That bomb went off and Rufus and I survived because we were in the Lifeboat. Most of the employees died, and you," Wyatt held a hand out with a solemn look on his face towards Connor. "You were blamed for it all. "

No one looked up at him, afraid they would see the look of fear flash across his face. 

"You lost your company, workers, projects and works. You struggled to adapt for awhile and ridiculed yourself for losing some of your knowledge when it came to helping restore the Lifeboat." Rufus said, knowing it was the right thing to do. 

Lucy looked up at her, "What do you currently know so far? Since Rittenhouse tried to destroy this place."

It was a loaded question but Agent Christopher seemed ready for it. 

"I know that your biological father is Rittenhouse along with your mother."

Wyatt jumped to start a new page when Denise started, writing out the differences of the two timelines. "Lucy didn't know her mother was Rittenhouse until the explosion when they kidnapped her and forced her to follow them."

Concern strikes through her features. "How did Rittenhouse force you, Lucy?"

It takes everything within Wyatt to  _not_  rush over to Lucy when she stiffens instantly at the memory. He goes to talk in her place but she beats him to it. 

"The planted bomb was intended to kill Wyatt and Rufus along with the Lifeboat. Rittenhouse already had me sealed away, dropping newspapers in of the explosion leading me to believe they didn't make it like many others. 

"Taking out the Lifeboat and your teammates kinda takes away your strength to fight against them. That was their goal all along and it worked until it didn't."

"For a long ass time, we were holed up in that bunker. The only way out was through the time machine. Six weeks had gone by after the explosion and Lucy was missing from us the entire time. I'm not gonna lie, I resented you during those weeks because we didn't find Lucy until the machine was up and running. "

Agent Christopher didn't seem phased by his confession. "I wouldn't blame you, despite me knowing full well that I would hide you guys after an explosion to keep you safe and alive, I kept you from her."

In the back of Wyatt's mind, an alarm rang behind all the chaos currently ensuing with the situation. He knew he had been obvious about his feelings for Lucy, but that was when she came back to them. Was he just really transparent in this timeline? Yeah, they were Lucy and Wyatt like they had been when they realized they made a good team when they stuck together, but Agent Christopher's statement stuck out. 

He brushed it off. "We found her in 1918, ready to blow the Mothership up there." He instantly regretted it when Mason and Denise turned their heads to Lucy, clearly pissed. "Leave her the hell alone, both of you!" he quickly snapped. "She spent more than a month thinking we were all dead; that anyone close to her was gone and couldn't help her. She was willing to kill herself and her mother along with the time machine if it meant putting an end to Rittenhouse. We were lucky enough to stop her in time and figure out what Rittenhouse was planning. "

Agent Christopher wasn't going to let it slide though, "Lucy you should've put your safety first, especially given the circumstances." Her attention turned back to Wyatt before anyone could question her on what she meant. "What were they planning, Master Sergeant?"

'Just focus on the matter at hand right now.' he scolded himself for getting distracted.

"They spent those six weeks that we had to sit through planting sleeper cells. Rittenhouse people who were given a mission and waited to be activated for years, just like Emma was."

"Emma? Who's Emma?"

Rufus looked concerned, "Emma Whitmore?" No reaction. "She was a pilot and helped in it's early testing?" 

Connor tilted his head and turned his body to Rufus, "The only pilots have been you, Anthony, and Jiya, Rufus."

A hand flew up to catch Lucy's squeak of surprise, "Oh my god."

Rufus knocked his chair back as he bolted upright, "Shit, shit, SHIT!"

And Wyatt kept connecting more pieces together, letting a "Holy  _fuck._ " slip out. 

"I need a fucking marker." Wyatt said reaching to the middle of the table to grab one as he ditched the sliding white board Denise left in the room for them and instead taking the white marker and writing everything he could think of down onto the conference room glass walls.

Lucy was quick behind him as she reached for the red and started her own report. "What's going on?" Connor prompted as he sat by Denise confused as ever. 

Lucy didn't bother turning as she kept jotting things down, "In our timeline, Flynn had another pilot to steer the Mothership, which left Anthony expendable. That pilot was a woman named Emma Whitmore who worked for you, Connor. She was one of the passengers to first try out the time machine with Anthony and the other passenger. "

"She was presumed dead when she didn't make it back. In reality, she stayed in the 1800's for, what like- ten years guys?" Wyatt said looking at Lucy and Rufus. He shrugged and got back to writing. "She was loyal to Rittenhouse from the start and eventually took over Flynn's game, but without the guidance of Lucy's journal and with the intent of changing history to suit Rittenhouse to essentially... what's the word I'm looking for here?"

"Own," Rufus replies quickly as he starts his own side with a blue marker. 

"Yeah, thanks bud. Rittenhouse created a manifesto that detailed key points in history that would help Rittenhouse own the world, not just country,  _world._ "

Rufus never ceased his writing when he spoke up, "To make it even better, it was one guy who wrote said manifesto for Rittenhouse. It was a guy named Nicholas Keynes during World War I. And, if you're suddenly growing bored of us, get this: He is the great grandfather of Lucy!" Rufus waved a hand to his left without much emotion to get a point across. 

The Homeland security agent was quick to make connections as well, "So Lucy has a whole lineage going?"

Wyatt smirked sarcastically, "Agent Christopher, Lucy is in the center of it all."

Lucy closed her eyes for a brief moment and huffed a breath out, obviously angry with the fact to begin with. "I hate to admit it, and I mean I  _really really_ hate to admit it, but it's true in a way. My mother dragged me to the war with Emma and we saved Nicholas when he was originally supposed to die. They wanted the mastermind behind the whole plan. Almost killed Madame Curie and her daughter for it." The scowl that came across her face was adorable enough to distract Wyatt for a brief moment when he realized something they all were missing.

"Guys, we just erased Emma from history. She still  _exists,_ but she's not in history or the past disregarding our own timeline. " Wyatt nearly dropped his marker, "We basically pushed a reset button on so many damn things."

Lucy's hand starts waving as she speaks frantically, "She never existed, therefore her actions and trips didn't as well. Only the trip to 1937 where something got changed and prevented her from being born years later. "

Rufus's face lights up when another thought comes to mind, "She doesn't exist, she never works here, she doesn't get stuck in the 1800's, we don't have to mess with the Jesse James part of history, and Anthony should still be kicking and breathing because Flynn doesn't kill him and they still have to work together. "

Agent Christopher nods, "He is currently in a safe house somewhere, he came to us for help when the Mothership was stolen from Flynn."

Lucy frowns, "From my mother, I'm sure."

Nodding briskly, she adds "And Noah."

Wyatt freezes and Lucy tenses at the name.

Rufus looks back and forth with a "Uh oh."

Neither of the two want to bring up Lucy's engagement to him so Wyatt speaks first, "Guessing Noah is Rittenhouse too?"

"Yes, he was promised Lucy's hand in marriage when her mother was pregnant and he was two." Mason chirps happily, feeling useful to the fact finding. "Of course, Lucy never accepted and it took awhile before Lucy broke off from her mother that fueled the both of them to steal the Mothership from Garcia. He posed as one of Flynn's men so he had access to where the tucked it away, so when Denise here had him arrested, Noah took it. Anthony taught him how to pilot it and he was freed because your mother felt sympathetic for his children. "

Wyatt hisses, and internal conflict showing across his face, "I'm not his biggest fan, but please tell me he's not locked up still." Lucy turned to him a little surprised. 

"No, Lucy talked me into busting him out because he proved to be valuable on missions and a strong ally against Rittenhouse under our terms. He's here in his room, he sat this mission out due to a injury. "

Rufus turned to ask the question Lucy and Wyatt seemed to be avoiding.

"So we did go to Hollywood land in  1941? To plant the tools he needed to escape with?"

"Yes."

"Okay so, we've done the Hindenburg, Lincoln, Atomic City, " Lucy begins to list.

Wyatt quips out a "James Bond and Alamo".

"Don't forget Watergate and our personal favorite," Rufus starts sarcastically

They all groan, "The French and Indian War."

"Oof, there was the Space Race with his mom," the soldier remembers frowning. "Bonnie and Clyde" he adds quickly to see Lucy's reaction as her cheeks turn pink a little. 

She's quick to distract herself. "The one with Benedict Arnold, H.H. Holmes and Houdini."

"Not Jesse James," Her and Rufus say in time. 

The trio freezes quickly when they recall what happened after coming back from the Jesse James mission,  and suddenly Wyatt remembers Jessica since when he last saw her leave for work before going back to 1937. He stole the Lifeboat back to 1983 to get her back.

"If I do remember correctly, the next one was the one where you lot met Hemingway." Connor says glancing between notes.

Lucy and Rufus glance over to Wyatt who seems shocked as much as they are. And he never met Hemingway or went back to 1927. That's another difference in the timeline. This also means the NSA never stepped foot in here. 

Agent Christopher breaks everyone's train of thought with "Al Capone." She scoffs, "Jeez, Rufus. You'd think you would remember getting shot. Scared the hell out of Connor, having him screech for the medics." 

Wyatt backs away from the bored to meet Rufus's eyes. "Dude, that means that Jiya was in the Lifeboat for the trip to D.C. in the 1950's for Ethan Cahill with just Lucy and I. She's fine in this timeline, buddy." He feels the grin tug at the corners of his mouth when Rufus quickly turns to Connor, asking where she is. 

"She's coming in later to pick you up, she had her Friday night family dinner to get to. "

"She's okay, I can't believe it."

Lucy gives him a hug before turning back to the board, "Okay, so Hollywood land happened, but the trip to France didn't with Nicholas."

"The Darlington 500 shouldn't have since Emma planted that sleeper. " He ignores the images of him and Lucy almost kissing in the trunk of the race car that rush to mind. Denise only nods to confirm it. 

"What are we missing from this new timeline?"

"The time Noah jumped for 17 year old JFK and you and Flynn brought him here. That was memorable." 

"The Suffragist movement too, Denise." Mason yawns, prompting the rest to do so as well when they realize their lack of sleep is getting to them. 

"And this last mission with the Golden Gate Bridge."

Lucy scowls, "So in this timeline, they haven't jumped as much?" 

Connor nods, his hands holding his head up. "Noah took awhile in learning how to steer the Mothership so we started trying to figure out their next moves. "

Worried glances get passed back and forth between the team when they realize that Carol might not stick to the events that haven't been done yet in this timeline. 

"Wait!" Rufus was already ahead of the game. "San Francisco was supposed to be an in and out job according to Emma. But it took longer than usual because she didn't know where the blueprints were. Carol never went on the trip probably because they both assumed the time duration of the trip. That means for us, Carol was reset in this timeline too."

"Meaning she might make the same trips and we can prevent them ahead of time."

"Anthony was forced to train another man to pilot the Mothership, just one of his many 'henchmen', but he never game back on his solo trip in this timeline.He went to 1937 without Noah." Connor explained. 

"That's because Emma killed him for destroying the blueprints and took off back to the present."

"Knowing Rittenhouse, they probably have her locked away before they even begin to question her. " Lucy felt bad for Emma despite her past actions and mistakes. "There's a chance she's been prepared for a circumstance like this however."

"Alright, I think you guys happening into this timeline actually helped with a breakthrough, but I need to get out of here. It's almost 4AM and I need you to do the regular debriefing." 

All three groaned as they capped their markers and each grabbed a laptop answering the questions. 

"I sure didn't miss this," Wyatt grumbled under his breath. He answered everything hastily when he read the third to last question.

**"How many people did you talk to and what about? Give names if possible."**

"Fuck!" He let out, dropping his head into his hands as he rubbed his face in aggravation.

Lucy startled next to him and Rufus was slowly inching his swivel chair far away from the man who was repeating obscene words. 

"Master Sergeant Logan?" Agent Christopher questioned. 

Lucy rubbed his arm as she tilted her head, her voice going soft and already calming Wyatt, "Wyatt, what happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm the one who changed everything. I'm the one who fucked, or saved, or just completely altered time." He looked up, his face flushing with anger towards himself. "There was this kid who was a bellhop, he was like 15 or 16 and bored. He started talking with me and I asked the typical question you ask a young teenager; 'What do you want to do with your life?'. He said he was probably going to keep working at the hotel to please and help his parents with bills and shit. He told me he wanted to marry this girl that delivered flowers to the hotel and be a chef and I told him to live life how he wants." Wyatt stood up and began pacing.

"How do you know that's what caused all this?" Denise asked with a skeptical look.

"Because that bellboy worked at a hotel that's still opened. I stayed at it years ago in our original timeline and told Lucy and Rufus about this old doorman who saw me when I was on an early vacation to surprise Jessica."

"I fucking hate Jessica," everyone's attention turned to Jiya who showed up in pajama pants and a hoodie, ready to pick Rufus up. Rufus rushed at her smothering her with affection muttering how he was glad to see her, but this was probably an all the time occurrence for her as she wasn't fazed.

"You hate Jess?" Wyatt asked shocked. 

"Yes! How do you not remember?" Connor leaned back and held one finger up to represent a barrier and another that went from one side to the other. "Oh, you're in a different timeline."

"Yes, so can you tell me why you hate Jess with a passion?"

Lucy lifted her hand a little, "I'm kinda interested too." 

Jiya didn't notice, getting too riled up just thinking of the memory. "It was for a get together and you and I were sent to get the snacks while Lucy was out running errands and Rufus was staying with Connor to fix a project before the get together. 

"We went to the super market and were arguing over the best sci-fi movie when the bitch happened by and sized me up before scoffing and asking if I was your new piece of ass."

"Jiya, language." Rufus muttered. 

"I don't know how different your life was before you came back, but in this life we're all best friends and you and I do in fact hang out when these two are busy." She waved her hand dismissively. "Irrelevant. Anyways, you told her to fuck off and that you wouldn't let her talk to me that way because we were friends and your history together."

"Wait, what happened?" Wyatt could see Jess doing all that, he just refused to acknowledge that she was a bitch often.

"You told me that six years ago, you came home early on Valentine's Day and wanted to surprise her since she sounded so busy and tired over the phone and you wanted to cheer her up. So instead of leaving your hotel the day after , you planned for that day she called asking when you would fly in."

He nodded along, the story not changing so far. He remembered being incredibly tired and sore from his flight, knowing that she would be fine if he showed up on the 15th instead.

"You got home around one in the afternoon and found her having sex with a guy named Tim Hander? I think that's his name."

Everyone looked back at Wyatt as he grew still. A smirk edging the corner of his lips as he started laughing, scaring all of them. "In my timeline, the old doorman talked to me for two hours and I didn't get to her place until 3. She was asleep in bed and I found a pair of men's socks but she said they were hers and I was being paranoid. You were right, Tim Hander's his name and when we took a break for six months, she dated him. She once threw in my face that it was the best 6 months of her life during an argument. I should've known she wouldn't break it off with him."

Lucy turned to Agent Christopher as Wyatt kept roughly rubbing his eyes from the anger and lack of sleep, "We've had a rough couple days, can we please go now?" Tilting her head at Wyatt, hoping she would cut him some slack. 

"Yes, you've all done well today. We can meet again in two days so rest up then, hoping the Mothership doesn't jump in the meantime. Go get changed." Lucy guided Wyatt, holding his hand in comfort to help alleviate the pain to which he squeezed back, muttering a "thank you" in return. 

They all filed to walk out the door, Jiya turning on her heels and walking backwards with her hand wrapped in Rufus's. She looked down at Lucy and Wyatt's joined hands before remembering what she was going to say.

"I can drive you guys home, I need to burn off that cup of coffee I drank anyways." They nodded, muttering thanks as they reached the wardrobe dock.

"Not gonna lie, I missed this place." Lucy said as she made way to her locker. The boys agreeing as they went the opposite direction. Jiya stuck around, talking to Lucy about how close they were in Jiya's timeline. "Are you upset that three of us are from a different, I don't know, universe kinda?"

Jiya leaned back against the wall, "I've actually thought a lot about this. I mean, Rufus goes alone without me. There was the initial fear of losing my Rufus, but I realized that it would be easier to cope with if the only difference between our worlds was this small variable that switched things up. Like Wyatt talking some kid into his dreams. He's still Rufus, just went through a different few months than my original Rufus did. " She searched for the right words, "It's like remembering a story being told differently. There could be gaps and exaggerated parts, but it ends all the same. If he finds his way back to me each time, then I think I'll be just fine." 

She smiled, knowing she might get to see a new side to Rufus that she's never seen. Or hear new memories that she's never heard of. 

Lucy pulled out a pair of black sweat pants and a gray t-shirt that she hadn't seen in awhile, switching her outfit out and handing Jiya the dress she had gotten. "Plus this is the third time you guys have brought back a new outfit, I don't see any room to complain." Lucy laughed in return as she slipped a pair a sneakers on and gathered her hair into a messy bun. She shut her locker after grabbing the thin zip up hoodie and made her way with Jiya to the front doors where the boys waited for them. Rufus toyed with his phone that he found in his locker, and Wyatt was leaning against the wall with his head tilted back, eyes closed. 

Rufus had on pajama pants with spaceships all over them, a gray hoodie, and his sneakers. Wyatt wore gray sweatpants with a black t-shirt, a blue flannel with the sleeves rolled down, and a pair of boots with his sweatpants leg and sock shoved in. 

Lucy nudged Wyatt with her leg and he nudged back, cracking an eye open with a smirk forming at the lips as he pushed off from the wall and started walking with the gang to Jiya's car. Lucy and Wyatt sat in the back, leaning against each other in exhaustion. 

"Here," Wyatt pushed a phone into her hands, yawning. "I think the other you accidentally left her phone in the other me's locker." 

Lucy laughed at his choice of words, "Say that again."

His smirk was back, "Don't test me, Preston." He watched as she went to turn it on, "Already tried; dead."

"Oh," She looked at the unfamiliar phone in her hands. "What makes you think it's mine?"

Wyatt burrowed himself further into the car seat, thankful for Lucy's hand playing with his finger absentmindedly. "The Forget-me-not that's pressed between your case and phone. I remember you saying it was your favorite flower, ever more so now that our lives could just disappear and with Amy."

She felt dumb as she let another "Oh," slip out. Not knowing how else to respond. She only ever told him they were her favorite when they had rushed past a flower shop and he made a joke about all her historical suitors that would want to buy her flowers. His assumption for a deeper meaning was correct though; she felt more drawn to the flowers when she went shopping and saw them in the garden section.

"Any chance you guys ate during your trip?" Jiya already figured they didn't as she started pulling into an In-N-Out drive-thru, reciting everyone's orders before anyone even responded. She pulled ahead while they waited on fries, "I figured it was a no because Wyatt can run off of two hour sleep as long as he has food in him, he gets more tired to avoid having to eat." She looked at Rufus expectantly, "You would never turn down a burger to begin with. And Lucy tends to snack after midnight a lot."

Wyatt shifted, "It's scary how close we apparently all were," he let out. suspiciously eyeing Jiya up and down. "But I can't let the chance to have greasy fast food pass after having to live of microwave dinners." He reached for his wallet, frowning when he didn't have it. 

It low key scared everyone that Jiya was so damn attuned to all of them when she brushed Wyatt off like she was expecting him to get money, "It's fine guys. It was my turn to pay for this food run and you left your wallets at home. We were having our movie night when you got called in, so I drove you instead." She made Rufus check the bags, saying "Passenger duty." when he reached for them. 

"I'm gonna eat this when I get home." Wyatt muttered as he sniffed the burger from the bag. Lucy followed with a similar response, while Rufus greedily shoved fries into his mouth,

"Whaf?" he mumbled looking back.

"Rufus, buddy." Wyatt laughed as Lucy stole a fry from his container, Rufus being an unsuspecting victim. 

Everyone jolted awake ten minutes later when Jiya parked the car and spoke aloud, "Alright guys, come on." Turning to Lucy and Wyatt, unbuckling her seat belt and stepping out as she grabbed the keys to the house that her Lucy left in the center console. "I think I left my jacket here."

Lucy half expected to be in front of his apartment building. Remembering how she wanted to run from her mother and planned to stay with Wyatt for the time being. The thought crossed Wyatt's mind too.

There were four geniuses standing outside one large house. A historian who knew everything from the past like the back of her hand, a master sergeant delta force soldier who knew the right ways of defense, protection, four languages, and the US military's involvement with history, and two computer scientists who could've worked alongside Einstein or Newton if given the chance. 

Out of the three who weren't from this timeline, no one thought to ask a painfully obvious question since finding out that life had been different as they kept going.

How many time travelers does it take to realize there was another shift in their lives?

All three stared at the large, suburban home that was gray with black and white trimmings. A red door facing them and a few lights on. They followed after Jiya who opened the door, turning on the foyer light as she went to find the missing article of clothing.

Wyatt let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. "Nice place you've got, Jiya." He said as he saw the living room and set the bags down on the coffee table, checking out the high ceiling with the small chandelier and the plasma TV. Jiya muttered a string of curses in the distance and appeared behind the three, clutching the jacket with a deathly grip.

"What did you just say?" Lucy wasn't even sure if she was breathing as she stared at all of them.

"Nice place..?" Wyatt repeated, just as confused. This seemed to throw Jiya through a loop as she dropped her jacket and backed up in shock. 

"Oh my god," she started, hands buried in her hair. 

"Jiya?" Rufus tried.

"Oh my  _fucking_ god. I should've figured."

"What? Figured what?" Lucy said as she started rubbing her hand up and down her back to calm her down. 

"When Wyatt asked about Jessica and said in his past he got to surprise her at 3 but in  _this_  Wyatt's timeline he said he got there at 1 to find her cheating. " She looks up and Wyatt and Lucy before focusing on him. "You never knew she was cheating. You never broke things off and went your separate ways. You stayed with her. "

The tone in her voice set him on edge and he stiffened, "She was my wife in our original timeline and was murdered. "

Rufus sighed, "This isn't the first time we've come back to a different life, obviously, but after going to Hollywoodland, she was alive and well."

Jiya's stare wavered everywhere as she tried to solve everything. "When did you all meet?"

Wyatt tilted his head in confusion and raised a brow, "We met the day Flynn stole the Mothership? Our first trip to the Hindenburg."

"Shit, that was only like almost a year ago. "Lucy guided her to sitting on the couch. "You met Rufus and I, as well as Denise and Connor then."

Wyatt was still at a loss.

"And Lucy," he tried to correct her.

"Lucy met us that day, but definitely not you, Logan." Jiya huffed with a hysterical laugh, clearly panicking. She closed her eyes as her foot tapped insistently against the cream colored rug, "You and Lucy didn't meet then."

Wyatt was sitting on the coffee table in front of her, trying to be patient as she was in nerves. "Then when did she and I meet?"

Her eyes were open and an unreadable expression clouded them, Six years ago on Valentine's Day."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we get to see Valentine's Day 4 years ago in their new timeline


	4. My heart belongs to you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story of Lyatt that found each other sooner.

**Four years ago: February 14th, 2012**

**12:26PM**

_Wyatt had walked into a hotel- not too far off from the Golden Gate Bridge- tiredly, sore from his airplane ride. He rarely ever got sleep from the nightmares and his ride had the most turbulence a single flight should have due to the storm that wouldn't let up._

_A middle aged doorman greeted him, prompting Wyatt to smile in turn as he made his way to the front desk. Empty, he waited. Scrolling through his phone's messages from his force buddies wishing him safe travels. He never really used his phone, there wasn't really a need for it since Jessica didn't call often._

_'She's busy, it's okay.'_

_'She wouldn't like it if I called her, she'll get upset again.'_

_'I'm fine, I don't need to contact her.'_

_Wyatt would restrain himself often from reaching out to her. He knew she would call when she ~~wanted~~ could. Forcing himself to remember those thoughts when he came close to pressing her name on his phone when he recalled the past events._

_~*~_

_"Hello?" Her voice came clear over the line and Wyatt felt a smile spread across his face._

_"Hi, Jess." He missed her, he hadn't seen her in months._

_He heard her sigh over the phone and for a second thought it was because she missed his voice. "What do you need right now?"_

_"What?"_

_"What do you need, Wyatt?"_

_Confusion didn't even cover half of what he was feeling. "I don't need anything?" he stammered out._

_Another sigh, "Then why did you call me?"_

_What does that mean? Why wouldn't I call her?_

_"I miss you," he tried, hoping she would say it back._

_"I'm really busy right now, Wyatt."_

_He panicked as he kept thinking 'I fucked up again' over and over. "I'm sorry, Jess. I didn't know."_

_"Yeah, I have to go. But you can't just call whenever you want to. I have a life too, you should consider that." He felt so guilty. It was 7 at night, he thought she was free._

_"You're, you're right. " he breathed shakily. "It was selfish of me to call you, I'm sorry."_

_"Stay safe, Wyatt."_

_"I will, I love you."_

_She hummed, "Yeah, you too."_

_He listened to the end tone on her line for minutes, kicking himself for even thinking he had the right to call. He laid down in his bed, listening to the other men on the phone with their loved ones._

_~*~_

_His home screen was of her smiling, one he had to grab off her Facebook because she didn't send him pictures. He could probably count on two hands the amount of times he's gotten her to smile like that._

_'You do a shitty job of making her happy.' he thought to himself. He brushed it off, reminding himself that they took a break for six months and then she called saying she needed him in her life and that she loved him. It's been a year since then and she's just going through a rough patch. They were fine._

_An instant buzzing started in his hands and he answered it while trying to find the person who could check him in._

_"Hey, babe." He had to double check his phone to make sure it was Jess calling. "When did you say you were coming home again?"_

_"Tomorrow, I'm really tired from the flight."_

_He heard lots of noise in the background and how her breaths were a little uneven, "Oh, okay. I'll see you then."_

_"Is everything alright, Jess?"_

_There was a second too long of silence, "Everything's fine, why?"_

_An alarm was ringing in his head but he ignored it, remembering the fight that occurred the last time he listened to it. "You just seem out of breath and spacey." There was still noise in the back. "I'm sorry I'm missing Valentine's Day."_

_"That's fine, babe. We can just watch a movie or something tomorrow. I don't really care." It sounded like a rustling and she winced._

_"Are you sure you're okay?"_

_"Yeah, babe." He hated how rushed the nickname always sounded. "I'm just cleaning up the apartment and had a tiring day. See you tomorrow?"_

_"Yeah, see you tomorrow."_

_He felt horrible for leaving her alone on Valentine's Day. The internal debate to surprise her was going through his head as he thought of how she liked having her own place because she hadn't wanted to settle down so quickly. But that was a couple years ago she said this and he's sure it wouldn't be an issue to just spend an extra night at her place, he could always sleep on the couch too._

_Fingers drumming against the front desk, he decided it was worth a shot and his aching body could wait a few more hours._

_He slipped out of the hotel, the doorman telling him to have a good day on his way out which Wyatt wished for him in return._

_His truck was parked along the curb from when his friend picked him up and gave it back from the extra garage space he had. The rain never let up as Wyatt drove, thinking about how he and Jess were finally having more pleasant moments together than before. Flowers sat in the passenger seat and he was fairly certain she wouldn't accept them- she was more tomboyish than most- but he felt the gesture could mean something to her._

_They were good now, better even. He could finally propose._

_He had is all mapped out in his head; Jess said she hated the wedding planning hassle and thought just going to city hall was a better idea during a movie once. He could take her up to the hill where they first kiss and propose to her within the next month with all the money he had saved up._

_He bounded up the stairs of her apartment building, quickly grabbing the key that was hidden in the trimming of the corner near her door that was wedged between the wall. He frowned noticing that the door wasn't even locked to begin with._

_He used his special training skills to slowly creep in to surprise her when he heard it._

_"Do you have to go? It's Valentine's Day, baby."_

_"My shift starts at 2:30 and no one can cover for me, Jess."_

_Red surrounded his vision, distant emotions from his dad came to mind when he tried to remember the last time he ever felt this angry and livid._

_He walked around the corner to her room, "How's that cleaning coming, Jess?" Pure shock hit her and he saw the dread on her face. "I think you missed a spot on the inside of your thighs."_

_"Wyatt?" She sat up, holding the sheets to cover her naked chest._

_"So you'll cover yourself in front of me and keep me at arm's length when it came to affection, but you'll fuck Timmy here? No wonder you never wanted me over."_

_"I can explain," she tries, almost with an expert aura surrounding her._

_"Save your shit, I'm done being played by you."_

_He turned to walk out -his hand on the door hearing Tim mutter about his speculation of Wyatt finding out to be true- when Jess ran up holding onto his arm with tears._

_"I'm so sorry, Wyatt. I'm so fucking sorry." He tried to yank his arm but she screamed shouting no and tugging him back. "Please, Wyatt. I need you. I want to get married to you and have kids with you."_

_Wyatt thought of all the shit he was put through that came to mind, then added a child to the picture._

_"You would be a horrible mother, Jess." He gave one last look to her, "Don't forget to clean your cheek and hair too, you bitch."_

_~*~_

_He drove around for hours, eventually parking outside a bar and walking in._

_With an order of two beers and a pissed off look to warn others, Wyatt was able to nap in a corner booth in a crowded bar. His feet were stretched to rest on the other cushioned side of the booth and his head titled forwards a little, and arms crossed as the sound drowned out day's past events._

_Despite it all, Wyatt honestly felt free and liberated. Like he didn't have to watch his actions as much anymore._

_A figure blocked the light that was in his direction, "Are you sleeping?" Whoever it was, she tried to be considerate, even in a bar._

_"No ma'am," he replied curtly._

_"Would it be alright if I sat here?"_

_"No idea, ma'am."  He felt her sit down near his outstretched legs, her warmth radiating off of her._

_He wasn't gonna lie; it was comforting._

_"You know, we're pretty much the same age so you can stop calling me ma'am." His eyes opened to find a woman who was strikingly attractive. He felt his lips slowly work into a smile as she glared at him._

_"The name's Wyatt, ma'am," he challenged back, enjoying the way her eyes squinted ever so slightly and her nose scrunched._

_"Stop. Calling. Me. Ma'am."_

_"Only if I can buy you a drink, ma'am," he proposed. There was no harm in having a stranger's company for the time being, right? There really wasn't room to complain either, she was breathtaking to look at and he was enjoying her quick remarks._

_He watched her smirk, "Okay, Wyatt." he couldn't stop the shiver that ran down his spine as she spoke his name carefully, "One drink, but you have to keep me company."_

_"I wouldn't have it any other way, ma'am." He grinned, standing up. Her arm reached out to catch his arm, his skin burning from her touch._

_Her brown eyes were staring up towards him and he didn't think he could look at brown eyes the same ever again._

_"Lucy," she smiled. The kind of smile that stretched her lips and showed true emotion. His favorite type smile. "My name is Lucy."_

_His arm never moved from her grip as he faced her fully, a small smile taking over his features. "Lucy, what would you like to drink?"_

_Her eyes playfully rolled, "To look good, I would just say an ice tea." Her gaze flicked back to his. "But I've had a shitty day and I'm willing to drink a beer with you." By the time he returned to the booth with two bottles and a bowl of pretzels_ _-already paying his tab in advance_ _, she had papers on her half of the table as she loomed over them, biting the tip of her pen._

_Wyatt sat back down, across from her._

_He silently watched with peaked interest as she gave her full attention to the things she read and made marks, using her distraction as a chance to fully look at her. Noting the way she would press her lips tightly together and tilt her head if she disagreed with something she read. How fast she was able to read. The small quirk of her lip when a student must've impressed her._

_'She's real fuckin' pretty.'_

_"What do you teach?" She startled and snapped her head up to meet his eyes, her cheeks flushing._

_"Oh my god," she laughed as her hand came to rest on her forehead. "I'm so sorry. I got distracted grading papers as I waited for you."_

_He offered a small smile, "It's okay, ma'am."_

_She bit her lip and smiled in return, seemingly no longer bothered by the nickname. Her head shook quickly with a laugh, "I'm sorry, what was the question again?" He reveled in the way her eyes lit up when he repeated the question. And somewhere, far in the back of his mind where he wouldn't bring it up for another few years, he made a promise to himself to always have her big brown eyes shine the way they did in that moment. "I teach history."_

_"Tell me about it then."_

_And she did. The way she spoke about history had Wyatt fascinated as she told it like she lived it and with confidence. He was okay with the subject, it was probably his best in school when his head wasn't shoved up his ass. He loved learning about the wars and such, anything to do with military. It didn't stop him from wanting to see her in her element however. To see her walk across a classroom and present these events with such passion._

_They talked for awhile -him finding out her day consisted of students and teachers hitting on her who didn't have a date for the night which prompted him to giving his phone number to her in case she needed an excuse to walk away and call him- when it came to the part where she wanted to know why he was alone on Valentine's Day._

_"You really want to know?" There was a bit of self-deprecation in his chuckle and she picked up on it, "I don't think you want to hear about my damaged goods."_

_"Probably beats some men's "goods" I've seen in my lifetime," she offered cheekily, earning a full-hearted laugh out of the soldier._

_"Alright." This wasn't going to be easy by a long shot, but he would have to remember how much it hurt to be with Jess in the first place. "Earlier this afternoon, I caught my girlfriend cheating on me." He could tell she had so many questions and things to say. He was thankful she chose to just listen at this moment._

_God, when was the last time he just ever vented to someone?_

_"She liked to consider us high school sweethearts, I guess it was true. Our relationship was never steady though, and I don't think I learned how to be in a proper relationship since being with her._

_"I wasn't entirely miserable, but I think I just grew so used to being treated the way she thought I had to be treated, or having to watch my words or actions. I don't know, ironically in all of this, she was my best friend. I didn't know who else to trust with my secrets because I always thought 'well who is she gonna tell?' but I think I missed my shot on love long ago."_

_She leaned forwards, "You want to know what I think?" He shrugged, not expecting her to have an opinion on the matter. "There's a couple billion people in the world, and you believe you're the only ones meant for each other? What are the odds?"_

_"I pegged you for the type that's all about fate and destiny," he frowns._

_"And I am."_

_"Except when it comes to love?"_

_"I don't know. I've seen attraction and chemistry, but...No lighting bolts from the heavens. Nothing like that."_

_Only the happier times came back to his mind as he tried to understand what she was getting at._

_"I've seen it. It happened to me."_

_"If there's only one person for you in the whole world and you lose them, does that mean you have to live the rest of your life without anyone else?"_

_It hit him hard, her question. There's no chance someone could be with him or tolerate him like Jess could. Even she couldn't handle him sometimes._

_He swallowed thickly and nodded once._

_"I think you -we - anyone, has to be open to possibilities."_

_He stared at her, somewhat in awe and disbelief. How the hell is he supposed to respond to that?_

_She gave a small nervous laugh when she realized the tension in the air and started gathering her things. "I should go, it's forty minutes to twelve and I want to beat the traffic."_

_"Right," he nodded as he watched her move quickly._

_"It was nice meeting you. Night, Wyatt."_

_"Night ma'am."_

_He watched her walk out, his head ringing with her words over and over before he found himself downing the last bit of her beer she left for extra support and ran out the door._

_He saw her walking down the sidewalk and paused for a split second wondering if he was actually going to do what he wanted for once._

_"Wait!"_

_She turned, surprised to see him, and witnessed as ran quickly walked his way towards her where she stood under the glow of a tall street light._

_"Wyatt?"_

_He was in front of her in an instant and staring at her with wonder before he took her face in his hands and leaned down to press his lips against hers._

_It should be a known rule that it's a horrible idea to kiss someone you've just met but to them both of them, it felt right. It felt natural and perfect._

_It felt like destiny._

_She smelled like cherry blossoms and the pages of a book and he never knew how much he needed to have that scent forever engraved into his mind. Her lips tasted like mango chap-stick and he found himself wanting more as he took her bottom lip between his teeth before pulling apart. His eyes caught hers and knew that they both felt something behind the kiss._

_It was like cold water to wake him from a deep sleep, a lit match where she connected with him and used her hands to wrap around his neck, it was like quicksand that would've devour him if he hadn't pulled apart soon._

_He leaned his forehead down to touch hers, his eyes closed and mouth open a fraction as he breathed her in._

_"Happy Valentine's Day, Lucy."_

_~*~_

_They went on three dates before he had to leave and return to his base._

_Three damn amazing dates that ended with him kissing her cheek goodnight by her front door._

_The times where he was able to rest and let his mind wander, it was always seeking his memories of her_.

_He replayed date two which was them in his hotel room talking. Just talking. He could live his whole life just talking if it meant spending time with her._

_He wanted to see her again._

_He groaned when his phone began ringing- expecting another cruise line call that he had been getting lately or a "guilty" Jess wanting him back- and pushed the phone up to his ear breathing out a "Fuck off" before he even checked the caller._

_"Wyatt?" Shit._

_He sat upright and felt himself panicking as he choked on his own spit, "Lucy?"_

_It was quiet for awhile and he kicked himself in the ass for already screwing this phone call up._

_"Are you okay?" Lucy finally let out hesitantly._

_"I'm so sorry you had to hear that. I didn't check who it was and expected some telemarketer or Jess and -"_

_Her cheerful laughter rang through his ears and he felt himself cherishing it, "It's okay, Wyatt. I've done the same thing once. Don't worry." She wasn't mad or pissed. That was confusing._

_"You're an absolute doll, Luce. Thank you." She was patient with him, she was understanding. She didn't seem real half the time. "So um, what's up? Did you need something? Was there a problem?"_

_She hummed on her end for a second before her voice became quiet, "Yes actually."_

_No no no no. She shouldn't be having problems. She was the picture of good and kind and, she was Lucy._

_"Is everything okay?"_

_"No, I think," there was a pause that stretched too long for his liking as his heart filled with anxiety for her, "I think I miss you, Wyatt Logan."_

_Whatever it was that he was expecting, it sure as hell wasn't that. He felt himself get light-headed as he forgot to breathe as her words kept repeating in his head and his chest constricted._

_"Wyatt?" Her voice was so damn pretty to listen to, especially when she said his name._

_"I'm here, ma'am." He never felt so warm as heat rushed to his ears and his eyes stung slightly with this affection he's never received before. "I miss you, Lucy. I know I do."_

_"Well I would expect so, I am a delight after all." Her quip was adorable and reminded him of her stubborn nature he saw when she argued over why they shouldn't remake old shows._

_"That you are, Lucy."_

_"I know that we aren't dating, but come back to me in one piece, Logan. I want to go on another date with you. I can wait a lifetime to be with you." The air was knocked out of his lungs when she said that and suddenly he let loose his suppressed dreams and hopes that she could be his and the could be together and happy._

_She could make him so happy, he didn't even question it._

_"My heart is yours, ma'am."_

_They texted whenever he could, him apologizing for the long gaps and her never minding it as she took whatever time she could get from him. He was kept updated on how her life was going through messages and pictures she sent to him first before posting them online._

_His home screen was of her hiding behind a book with her smile reaching to her eyes from where they peaked over the cover of the book. It was one he took to catch her off guard on his last day with her and she looked so beautiful as she read with the sunlight hitting her from the side and the few fly away stands of hair from her messy bun, he wanted to take that moment with him before he left._

_His lock screen was of her in a field of forget-me-nots where her and the history department took a trip to relax. She wasn't aware of her picture being taken by one of the teachers as she stood in a black sundress with a white flimsy long sweater that reached the length of her dress, her looking down with her head tilted to the side as she brushed out her hair with sunhat resting against her midriff._

_His contact photo of her was of New Years Eve 2012 a few minutes before the ball dropped. Her eyes crossed and lip curved to blow hair out of her face with a photo prop mustache on a stick, wishing him a Happy New Year for 2013 at exactly 12 where she admitted she had to wait a good six minutes before sending it._

_He knew how deep he was in after the third year of him being away from her but having her still miss him just the same. They talked about dating, joked about getting married since they weren't interested in anyone else._

_All of the what if's and the talk of being open to possibilities led him to this spot where he stood leaning against his truck outside of the school where he waited for her._

_She didn't know he was coming and he knew today was a day where she car-pooled to school with someone in her department who also had a late class._

_His smile was already taking over his features when he watched her walk out of the building on her phone. She was dressed in a casual black blazer with a white t-shirt and high waisted jeans with flats._

_He held himself back from approaching her, wanting to let her find him so he could see her smile._

_And he was so glad he did._

_She looked up and a huge grin broke out on her face before she ran towards him, throwing herself into his already open arms as they both held on tight._

_It was three years since he had last seen her and she looked more beautiful than he remembered._

_He held her tighter as he felt the hot streaks of tears fall onto his neck and slip down his shirt while he fought his own. He knew he was hers from the start; he gave his entire heart and trust to her._

_She was his best friend through it all._

_His hand came to rest in her hair as he tried to calm her tears, "It's okay, I'm here, babydoll. You're okay." She clung tighter and melted into him._ _He forced himself to pull apart from her, holding her close by her shoulders as one hand drifted to wipe her tear stained cheeks. "I missed you so much, Lucy Preston."_

_"I've missed you beyond words." His lips pressed to her hair before he backed away from her._

_His knee touched the sidewalk and his hands found the box from his pocket as he opened it to present a ring that's band was twisted into infinity on either side of the diamond that sparkled under the lamplight._

_He struggled to get his voice straight as he felt his face get wet from his own tear, "You found me when I was at my weakest and gave me hope with your talk of being open to possibilities. You told me every chance you had that you missed me and wanted me to come back safely. You were by my side for three years even when there were miles between us, and you never let it stop you." He was aware how choked his voice was getting and how much his knee was beginning to hurt but he never felt better. "You are my best friend. I considered myself your boyfriend even though I was a major dumbass and left without ever asking you. I thought of you as my girlfriend. I didn't know how much I needed you until I was without you. You were my motivation to stay alive and not give up on myself, you talked me down whenever I called in a panic, you always let me know how much you loved me unconditionally without ever having to say it."_

_"Wyatt,"_

_"This is my promise to you, Lucy Preston. I promise to keep you safe and give you everything you could ever want or need, no matter how much the work that it requires. I promise to forever be yours if you'll have me and cherish you for the rest of our lives. I promise to never stray away from you again. I promise to love you even when time runs out." He slowed his hammering heart down long enough to get through, "Will you marry me, ma'am?"_

_She didn't say a word as she dropped to her knees in front of him and pulled his face in her hands, staring at his brilliant blue eyes that hid behind unshed tears. She gave a nod as she pressed her lips against his slowly like he was going to break away and become fragments of her memories. He wordlessly slipped the ring to her finger before pulling her closer with his hands on her waist, tilting his head into the kiss hoping he could tell her how much she meant to him when he couldn't find the words._

_He belonged to her from the start and was meant to find her, but she found him first._

_~*~_

The living room was silent as Jiya spoke about her timeline's Lucy and Wyatt. 

It was  _their_  story, their life, their fate and destiny. 

Neither of them could find a flaw as she told it; small details that seem to hit too close to home to be made up. Wyatt knew he was insecure at times, especially after being with Jessica. Lucy was all to aware of how much she would sacrifice to Wyatt if it meant making him smile even in the slightest. 

They were envious of this life their altered selves got to live, even with the three years apart.

Lucy spoke first, her voice quiet and wavering, "Jiya, how, how do you know this story so well?"

"You and Wyatt were this fairy tale couple and your story was one I never grew tired of."

Wyatt was about to respond until their was a distant pattering that gradually grew and he found himself falling off the table onto his back with a "Oomph" letting out. He couldn't open his eyes as a tongue spread across his face and a heavy weight settled onto his stomach. "Please tell me this is a dog,"he starts.

"Yep," Jiya goes pressing her lips together, "That's Teddy." Wyatt pushed himself up enough to be able to hold the dog at bay. 

"Wait, Teddy as in Theodore Roosevelt?" Wyatt says as the dog continues to lick at his jaw. 

Jiya had let out a nervous laugh, "Um yeah, you were a sucker for anything Lucy wanted to do. " Wyatt and Lucy -and Rufus but he was internally freaking out- gave the dog a good look. He was a German Shepard with more black fur than brown and he had heterochromia with one blue eye and one brown eye. "He was a rescue but he was in a Beverly Hills shelter and no one wanted him because he was so young at the time and his eyes supposedly showed "low class" to the rich so he was passed along until you two walked by and saw his picture in the window and joked about him being half Lucy and half Wyatt."

"Well, this is a surprise. " Lucy mumbles as she sits next to Wyatt to scratch the dog under the chin.

Jiya was already standing up and fidgeting her hands together. "Yeah, about that." The trio exchange looks before getting up to follow Jiya with Teddy bumping under Rufus's hand for attention. They climb a staircase in the dark as they follow the railing and walk down a hall before reach a door. Jiya pressed a finger to her lip asking for them to be quiet as she slowly opened the door. She pushed the confused Wyatt and Lucy inside ahead of her and prayed to god they wouldn't make noise.

A nursery/children's bedroom was presented before them. There was a low lit lamp in the corners of the room that created a glow effect to the blue walls that faded into a pink halfway through. The wall opposite of the door had two beds that looked like miniature sized adult frames, one in black and one in white. Aside from a few toys strewn across the floor to indicate an earlier play session, their room was pretty well kept with baskets and bins. Each had a small shelf with their own books and a sound machine was emitting a low wave of noise. 

They weren't sure how to feel. Several questions ran through their minds and disbelief wanted to be the emotion to win. They weren't even sure if they wanted to believe this was a joke or not.

"We had kids?" Wyatt whisper shouts to both Jiya and Lucy, mindful of how peaceful they're sleeping.

"How old?" Lucy tries, not even being able to move an inch.

"They turned two five or six months ago."

"They're  _twins? We had twins?"_ Wyatt gapes, just now making the connection as to why there's two of them and they share a room that seems to be split by personality. 

Jiya walks up behind them,"Do you want to see them?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to bookmark to stay updated, comment or leave kudos, thank you!


	5. Role Mixed with Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So sorry that it has been months without updating. School just let out and now I finally have free time.  
> Lyatt finally gets to meet the twins.

There were so many questions that hung in the air- whether they were unspoken or not- as Lucy and Wyatt stared at the beds that were a few feet from them. The only indication that there were children under the sheets was the small lumps under the blanket with the even breaths they took.

They had kids.

They met six years ago. They were married. They had a dog. They had a house. They had  _twins_.

Wyatt barely had enough self-awareness to hold his ground when Lucy stumbled a little into him.

Her cheeks were flushed and she was breathing too fast, then her eyes kept wavering and she looked on the edge of a fainting if Wyatt hadn't put his right arm around her waist and held her left arm with his to keep her steady.

It was Lucy who slowly stepped forth to look at the kids she gave her life to for three years in a different life. It was her heart that raced against her chest just thinking that she had been with Wyatt in this timeline for six years and they had a family and a damn dog she already loved to death.

Wyatt fell close behind her, crouching next to Lucy as she knelt by one bed that was white. Hand coming to move back the covers from the little face. They both stilled as they saw a smaller version of a practical hybrid between Lucy, with her nose and Wyatt with his lips.

His eyes trailed over the semi dark sandy subtle curls that held hints of Lucy's dark, brown hair between the layers. Her long lashes rested against her cheekbones that occasionally fluttered in her sleep. His eyes latched onto the small diamond mock earrings that would catch the light of the lamp's glow.

"I always thought if I had a daughter I would pierce her ears when she was old enough as a baby like my mom done to me." It didn't surprise him that she could already tell what he was thinking. "Saves time and risk of infection since you can keep an eye on it while they're young. Amy was four when she got hers done and she was so terrified even though she wouldn't stop begging for them; my parents had to bribe her with seven Barbie dolls I think? I figured she could decide her image as she grew up, she could let them close up if she wanted to." He felt guilty that she was trying to calm his growing nerves despite her freaking out as well, but enjoyed her endless ranting no less.

His thumb hesitantly came up to graze against the little girl's cheekbone that was smushed against her pillow, nearly jumping out of his skin when she snuggled into it. "She's perfect, Luce." He struggled to get out, wanting to convey the countless dreams and fantasies he had of starting a family with her. Wanting her to know how trapped he felt laying next to Jessica at night with thoughts of what a kid with Lucy would look like.

_This, this is what a child with Lucy would look like._

Rufus and Jiya stood by the door frame, their not so subtle curiosity mixed with the shock and a desperate need to feel included as they held themselves back.

Lucy's lip caught between her teeth when the girl's small left hand with white nail polish came up to grab at Wyatt's, tugging him closer and him allowing her to do so. His eyes were transfixed on her sleeping form and taking her in, trying to find a single flaw in the toddler that could prove this was all a dream. He didn't mind when she managed herself to be heavy and keep his hand down, savoring the small frown that crossed her features when he went to move.

"What's her name?" Lucy looked to Wyatt as he glanced at Jiya before turning back to the girl.

"Marilyn Bonnie Logan," she replied quietly on the other side of the room while Wyatt's heart ached upon hearing her name. She stepped forwards a little to guide them to the black bed with the other sleeping child, "And this is Maxwell Sherwin Logan."

Both Lucy and Wyatt stilled at the thought of being so distracted and thrown off by one kid, that there was another one just a foot away who slept under the covers.

A sleeping figured faced them and Lucy suddenly felt an ever growing attachment to the twins when she pulled back the blanket.

It was Wyatt.

Because of course it had to be a miniature sized Wyatt. Because she could totally handle one of them to begin with.

It wasn't that her heart was beating out of her chest from fantasizing what a son of Wyatt's would look like either. It wasn't the image of a younger face of the soldier with his cheek smushed up against his little fist and a stuffed dog. Nope, none of this was making her melt in the slightest. Nope nope nope.

Lucy could already see herself going head to head in the near future with Marilynn who looked like an almost spitting image of her. Lucy knew how she was growing up.

If she was anything like her parents or Amy had been, her teenage years were going to be worse than any war the trio had been to.

If she had Lucy's stubbornness and Wyatt's hotheadedness, they were doomed.

Then there's this Max and Lucy is all to well aware of Wyatt's childhood alone and can't handle the thought of this child -who looks like Wyatt now and probably when he was younger- looking upset or hurt.

He was a spitting image of Wyatt in a way, his button nose taking after his more, his eyebrows a bit more darker than the man besides her, his hair in the same exact style as Wyatt's.

She entertained the thought of alternate Wyatt taking their son to get his haircut the same day as Wyatt; sitting in a chair side by side with Maxwell perched up on a booster seat trying to be all serious. These were not new fantasies she was having involving a family with Wyatt, but they were definitely more alive than they used to be. They didn't seem so far away anymore. If she tried hard enough, maybe she could feel like she deserved to have a future like this with him, with  _them._

She had to be insane to be finding some of this even comforting or normal - they weren't even together in her own timeline and Lucy couldn't find a way to justify her thoughts when the man next to her was trying to process a lot more than her.

She saw bits of herself in Maxwell as well just like how she saw parts of Wyatt in Marilyn.

They found themselves sitting in a pair of beanbag chairs between the beds, their minds fuzzy from the lack of sleep and this whole new life they were thrown into. Lucy hadn't even realized she was trying to offer support to Wyatt until she felt her hand covered by his.

_'Are you trying to comfort him, or is it the other way around?'_

Neither would ever be able to answer this question no matter the circumstances.

Wyatt remembers the day they finally got Lucy back; walking into her room to ask how she was adjusting when it was really just an excuse to see her. He was surprised to see her so broken and beaten down, he felt as though a part of themselves was lost in the past when they were separated from each other.

Six weeks and he couldn't find or protect her, he couldn't even guarantee that she was in fact alive but he felt it.

But when he had her in front of him, crying about how her life was now in shambles and she wasn't certain of anything anymore, he wasn't sure if they ever did really get Lucy back. And he hugged her, promising she hadn't lost him during it all and he didn't know who he was saying it for anymore.

Sometimes, sometimes his masochist mind would entertain the thought that it would've been best if they all died in the explosion.

To hurt one would hurt the other: a dependent variable set they quickly became after the Alamo. He was all too aware of how much he needed her to drive himself forwards and push him to live. He wasn't proud but he wasn't complaining either.

Maybe he needed her more in this moment than she needed him. Maybe they both needed the same amount of strength and comfort to continue on. Neither could say really. But the small hand in his was easing any doubts and regrets he held, helping him try to adjust to the new roles they would have to play and eventually mold into.

Jiya crouched down in front of them with a sincere look, "Do you guys want me to spend the night?" They couldn't have nodded fast enough, because they did need her to show them the ropes.

So Jiya went to a guest room with Rufus and they soon fell into a discussion before falling asleep in the queen sized bed.

"Mmph," a small voice came from across the kid's room and the blankets shuffled as Maxwell shimmied out of his blankets, donned in a black T-shirt with a green t-Rex on the front and small flannel pajama bottoms Wyatt didn't even know existed as he sucked in a breath. The kid walked a little as he swayed back and forth while rubbing his eyes, clearly trying to make an attempt for the door. He stumbled into Lucy however and the new found parents suddenly felt the switch flip inside as he fell to her lap startled.

"Oh god, Maxwell are you okay?" Lucy said as she found her arm rubbing up and down his back. He looked up and let out a confused frown.

"You're home?"

"Hey, buddy." His attention gravitated to Wyatt, "What are you doing up?"

"Bathroom," he pointed towards the door and rubbed his eye again with a pout. He started sniffing and would make little snorts every now and then but nothing concerning. He made his way for the door and reached up to open it, quietly making his way to the bathroom as Lucy and Wyatt shared a surprised glance.

"He seems independent for a toddler?" he remarked as he slowly stood up to walk to the bathroom, Lucy following behind.

"I don't find it surprising, you and I were very independent people before we took this job." He nodded along in agreement and listened to the soft flush that came from the room and the sound of running water for a handful of seconds. "Okay, he's hygienic too I guess?" Lucy quipped while he was silently impressed by the abilities of the young toddler.

"I guess that means one less thing to worry about," he muttered as the door opened and Maxwell walked back to shove the built in step stool under the sink after turning off the lights that was by the counter of it. "Ready to go back to bed?" He nodded as his hand came to rub his eye again and he instinctively took hold of Wyatt's hand that laid by his side, startling the soldier into the amount of comfort the kid had with him.

_'Does Maxwell know how many people have died by his dad's hands alone?'_

Wyatt swallowed thickly when he felt a blockage in his throat, Lucy's attention gravitating to the man's instinctively before the little boy spoke.

"Mommy, can you tuck me in?" His adolescent chubby and small hand tugged a little on Wyatt's as if to gain his attention, "Daddy too."

Lucy and Wyatt froze, they had completely forgotten that upon being instant parents in one night they also earned those titles and would have to work on their reactions to it.

Her hand held his other one when he realized she was by his side too, "Of course, don't we always?"

They shared a glance, asking the question " _Do we?"_

"Yeah, always." He mumbled sleepily with a soft snort and scrunched his nose. If the time traveling duo gave any indication that they were out of their element, the kid wasn't showing it.  They let him climb into the bed as Wyatt crouched down - his hips still taller than the height of the bed- and raised the covers to his shoulders where he laid on his side. "Night-night kisses" he murmured a remind. 

' _Just slide into the role, right?'_ Lucy internally panicked.  _'You pretend to be someone else every other day, why is this time any different?'_ She knew why, she knew the differences in her predicament right now.

Wyatt took the initiative, brushing away the similar thoughts Lucy had out of his mind to focus on the conscious kid besides him. He leaned forwards slowly and brushed his hair away from his head while placing a soft kiss to his temple.

It overwhelmed him how much it all felt natural to be doing actions he never saw himself getting the chance to do.

It scared him how  _right_  it felt as well.

He was so lost in his thoughts he didn't notice the subtle awed look in Lucy's eyes or how she was so distracted by the mirrored blue eyes looking up at Wyatt like he meant the world to him.

She followed after and kissed the tip of his nose which prompted him to scrunch his face and sniff before a small smile showed and he closed his eyes and fell back to sleep.

Wyatt and her stood between the two twins, Lucy touching his arm as she gestured to the door with a slight tilt of her head. The historian seemingly having the most driven mindset for the time compared to his tunnel vision where Maxwell and Marilyn occupied his thoughts. He followed her down the stairs and didn't object when she said she would eat in the kitchen and he could eat out in the living room for the time being, saying she needed to think alone for a bit.

As did he.

Through a sleep deprived haze, his mind raced.

He had gone from being in a toxic relationship he fooled himself of to losing a wife and torturing himself over it. He met Lucy and fell for her as she brought him back to sanity. They finally had a chance together and spent the night together that led to him waking up with her in his arms.

They came back to the present and snuck off to steal kisses from one another within the bunker for minutes at a time and to finally see what she looked like in his flannel. Supposed dead wife texts and she's alive. Wants a divorce. Memories that were stamped down resurfaced of how Jessica truly was to him. He doesn't want to lose Lucy. He calls her in hopes that she'll tell him to stay by her side. She encourages the relationship.

The sense of obligation and guilt come back. Jess and Wyatt try to make it work. Wyatt laid awake at night even after forcing himself to have sex with her and lie about finishing each time. Wyatt thought about Lucy rooms down. He thought about the night in Hollywoodland a lot.

He remembers missing Lucy a lot despite it occurring just a few days ago. He remembers having her a couch away and wanting to scream of not being able to touch her or hold her. Wanting to scream out of frustration at Jess for holing them up in Wyatt's room because she felt "disconnected" from the rest of them and "not included". Wanting to purely punch the woman for the times she ventured out and acted cocky and snarky to everyone in the bunker, even Flynn.

But now he's married to Lucy, has been married to Lucy. He's got a wife and twins and a fucking dog.

He should be panicking more, right? Not feeling a huge urge to indulge in this alter Wyatt's life?

His thoughts halted when he felt her careful touch to his shoulder and the tilt of her head as he noticed the staircase again.

There was that unspoken language they had. How they knew each other inside and out.

They both wordlessly cleaned up after themselves and walked up the stairs to find a door with a sticky note of the Millennium Flacon that said "your room" in Jiya's handwriting.

Wyatt plucked the note off, "Star Wars, nice." As Lucy turned the doorknob, rolling her eyes at his fanboy comments.

As soon as the switch flipped the lights on, they both regretted it seeing as they were beyond tired and confused and freaking out and they had a gorgeous bed room in front of them.

The room large with a king sized bed in the center and matching nightstands on either side where Wyatt could see his favorite book lounging the he often read near a framed picture of Lucy in a field of blue flowers and Lucy could see her glasses folded up with her watch by its side. A door that had its own private bathroom was to their left and a walk in closet to their right. There sat a blue marbled fireplace on the right side. A large dresser sat on the left wall that contained 12 drawers in all and was clearly split between the two as there was various sticky notes with exchanges.

_"Quit leaving your drawers haphazardly open."_  
 _"Make me."_  
 _"I read the last chapter of that new book you started reading, hun."_  
 _"You wouldn't dare, Luce."_  
" _Want to test that, Mr. Logan?"_  
 _"I'm sure I do, Mrs. Logan."_

_"Ran to do early morning errands. Maxwell has an appointment with Charles at 12:30, won't be back until 5:00."_   
_"I missed you this morning, Babydoll. After appointment, had training and exhausted myself. Went to bed early. I love you."_   
_"I love you too, Sweetheart."_

_"Found you asleep on top of essays again. Carried you to bed but was called in by Denise to review last jump. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up. Can't wait to see you, Luce."_

_"Rufus called, wanted another get together tonight with Jiya. Ran to get food with her. Text me when you see this, doll."_  
" _We're not watching any films starting with the word 'Star' again until those two settle their differences."_  
 _"They're good movies, tho."_

Lucy and Wyatt read through the ones posted on the wall, the notes hitting raw nerves that were meant to be left untouched.

It hurt. A fuck ton did it hurt.

He wanted her and only her. There was never a choice. It had always been her to begin with and now she was here and she felt far away with everything that stood between them.

~*~  
 _"Door", she quickly breathed out between kisses as her hands fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. He briefly broke apart from her as he locked the door. Turning back in her direction, shrugging off the shirt and dropping a knee to the bed as he held her face and kissed her again._

_Her hands tangled in his once neatly styled hair and he groaned against her lips, chasing after her as she pulled back. "Wyatt, are you sure?"_

_His lips pressed to her wrists as he slowly trailed up, "I've toyed with the thought when I first opened my eyes to you, dreamt of it after seeing you in the jail, got lost in a daydream the fourth mission in, and now I honestly wouldn't mind doing anything you asked." He kissed along her collarbone._

_"Wyatt?"_

_"Someone hurts you or makes you cry, say the word and I'll kill the man. You want to stay here and just kiss and cuddle, I'll be more than happy to oblige. Want me by your side, I wouldn't have it any other way, babydoll."_  
~*~  
"I'm tired," she said as she sat on the side of the bed that she assumed was her side, plugging in the dead iPhone as Wyatt followed suit and did the same. His eyes trailed to the loveseat couch that sat in front of a tv in their room, grabbing the pillow on his side before Lucy stopped him.

"Wyatt, what are you doing?"

"Going to sleep?"

"It's fine, Wyatt. Just stay here."

He shifted to his other foot, "I'm afraid I'll hold you in my sleep," her eyes glanced around briefly, "Luce, I don't want to make you more uncomfortable than you are." The times the trio spent the night in the past, Wyatt and Lucy often found themselves trying to save Wyatt's dignity; chalking up his late night hugs to him wanting to stay warm in the night.

Her eyes brightened at the sight of a big teddy dog and shoved it into his hands.

"There, he's about the same size as me."

He deadpanned, "You can't be serious."

"Just place it between us." She huffed with amusement playing on her lips.

"Luce, this thing is about 3 feet tall and way thicker and rounded than you! How is this the same size?"

She sat on the bed again, "In another timeline he is."

Wyatt sat down too with the damn stuff dog, "In another timeline I didn't need this thing." He pouted.

Lucy seemed unfazed, "That  _thing_ has a name." Pointing to the dog collar it has with one of their kid's handwriting on the heart tag.

"Yes, I didn't need Mr. Barkers in another timeline."

"I don't know, I think he was in here for that specific reason."

"You're insufferable, Luce."

"Call it what you want." They sat for a beat of silence before Lucy switched her lamp off and they both settled underneath the covers.

Wyatt toyed with the tag in the glow of his lamp's light, looking at the childish handwriting. "It's cute."

"Hm?"

"This, their writing."

Lucy breathed, "They're cute."

"They're perfect." He corrected. "Marilyn looks like you, she's beautiful."

"Maxwell looks like you, his eyes are just like yours." Wyatt reached out and turned the lamp off. The darkness filling out every inch of their room.

"Is it, is it bad?" He felt her shift in his direction, turning to her side and he followed suit so they faced one another in the darkness. "To want this. This house, this life, this family, us.  _Them."_

She didn't say anything, only shifted a bit closer until they were nearly touching and he could smell her perfume.

"You're thinking about something, I know you are."

"Just thoughts inside my head right now, Wyatt."

He moved the extra inch and pressed his forehead to hers, their eyes closed.

"Let me hear what's going on inside, please?"

"I just, I don't know what to exactly  _do."_ His silence prompted for further explanation. "I'm not a mother and I've never been one. I don't have that great of a role model and you were just with Jessica before the jump. It's weird and it's scary and I don't know what to do." She rambled, her voice getting choked.

He tilted his head up to press a soft kiss to her forehead, "I know. I know you feel like running and going insane. I do too. But right now, I want to believe that this is fate that we ended up here and take a chance at pretending to have a normal life with the twins." Her breath came in shudders and he carefully brought his hand up to stroke her cheek through this time jump situation that made her feel trapped and triggered her claustrophobia. "They need parents, babydoll. We were their parents and we should stand by that. They need us, Luce. Can we do that?"

He was aware he said "we" instead of directing it towards her bluntly, knowing she would feel less boxed if he implied he would be there with her.

"I think, I think I can."

He smiled lightly, knowing she couldn't see it but knowing she could feel it. "Then that's all you really need to keep in mind, Luce." He pushes himself away a little, turning to rest on his back as the stuffed dog laid across his lap and he pulled at the fake fur. "I see bits of you in Maxwell."

"He's a spitting image of you, it's crazy." Her laugh was melodic and tired but stirred at his heartstrings nonetheless.

"But I can see you in him as well, just like how I see you in Marilyn."

The bed moved with her as she turned to rest on her back too, "I'm starting to appreciate your hair more," she shrugged.

"My hair?" He subconsciously ran a hand through the mentioned subject of the new conversation.

"Yeah, your hair. I mean, it's always looked nice despite the time period we're in and how no one questions it's style but it seems so nice and soft and now we have kids who have your hair and it's just so  _nice_." He barked out a laugh as he realized this was Lucy at her prime when it came to sleep deprivation.

"Go to bed, Professor."

"I'm starting to think that's a kink of yours, Logan."

"Lucy!  _Oh my god._ "

~*~

Eventually a few minutes after their exchange, they drifted off to much needed sleep.

Wyatt awoke to an internal alarm clock around 8:30 and felt replenished enough to start the day, momentarily forgetting the happenings of last night until he went to sit up but couldn't move his hand.

His eyes opened to the sight of a sleeping Lucy whose arms laid hooking upwards to rest on his that was underneath, connected to the hand that currently rested under Lucy's cutely smushed cheek.

Thoughts raced to last night, just now remembering Maxwell and Marilyn and everything else that followed.

Wyatt Logan, however, even with the circumstances wasn't one to miss an opportunity such as this.

His hand blindly reached back and grasped his phone as his eyes remained trained on Lucy, thumb expertly sliding the screen up without looking and pressing to the right where the camera icon was.

He briefly looked away to see the picture; despite it being a perfect capture, it didn't hold a candle compared to sight before him.

The late night came back to mind as he remembered Marilyn who laid sleeping and content to have this alternate version of her dad staring at her with fascination.

And shock and fear and confusion, etc.

But to have Marilyn in the night with her cheek smushed against his hand and have Lucy painting the same image?

This was a cruel joke from the world, from fate. It just had to be, right?

To have her here in his arms and yet have her so far away where she couldn't hear his heartbeat.

The life he slowly accepted he would have to live for the rest of time.

He carefully removed his hand and sat up, examining the room with a semi-fully awaken mind. He saw the small details that screamed Lucy and Wyatt-the small parts that resembled a life together.

The charging chord almost dropped from his hands when he saw the framed picture of Lucy again, this time with fresh eyes and strong curiosity.

She stood in a field of blue flowers that he knew right away to be her favorite in a simple sundress and very light and see through sweater, her hand brushing through her hair with a sun hat held tentatively to her stomach.

A wave of jealousy ran through him of this alter Wyatt that had years together with her and to have seen this picture where she's so laid back and free and relaxed. To have it even framed and sit on his nightstand so it's the first object he sees when he wakes up and to have the focus of the image to his right.

' _But your Lucy gets the screwed up Wyatt, right?'_

Rough hands came rub at his face as he stood up, walking quietly to a dresser he assumed was his and taking out a clean pair of clothes to change into after his shower.

It came as no shock when there was another His and Hers set in the bathroom on the marbled counters with an elongated mirror. The entirety of the house only seemed to point towards the fact that one of them had a high paying job and it had to be her. 

The pressure of the shower head felt amazing on his overexerted muscles and he spent an extra ten minutes in the hot water he didn't realize he missed so much compared to the fleeting warm water that ceased after five minutes under it. 

Did he waste water? Probably.

Did he care? Not really when his back felt years younger than usual.

He was greeted to the sight of a sleep rumpled Lucy shuffling around the room to grab clothes as well.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," he grinned cheekily as she flipped him off. 

"Shut it, I feel gross and hate morning showers but I know I'll hate myself for the rest of the day if I don't clean up now." 

He turned his body as she passed to allow her access to the bathroom, "Are you always this charming in the morning?"

Her eyes peeked through the gap of the now closing door, "Are you always this nosy in the mornings?" He hissed before a suppressed chuckle as the door closed with the slightest catch of a successful glimmer in her eyes knowing she was just teasing. 

He waited for her to finish her shower and heard the faucet turn off, the time that passed seemed to drag on as she stepped out in her own pair of sweats and a t-shirt too with her hair in a wet bun. "Ready to go downstairs?"

The flinch on her face didn't go unnoticed, "Honestly? No, not really but we can't keep putting it off." There was a small gap of silence before he turned the doorknob and heard the clattering downstairs. 

Jiya sat at the end of the counter drinking alter Wyatt's black coffee while Rufus pretended to handle how bold it was, their attention on the two toddlers that were eating pancakes peacefully.

Just as the pair stepped across the threshold, Teddy padded up to them and sat, raising a paw to whoever wanted to take it. Wyatt looked from Lucy to the dog then the nerds looking at them, "What's he doing?"

"Waiting for you to say good morning back, he won't stop until each of you shakes his paw." Jiya's smile was one filled with pure adoration for the German Shepard. Wyatt stood dumbfounded, "Don't be so surprised, you taught him it."

"Right," he held his hand out as Teddy smacked his paw into it, "Good morning, buddy." The dog quipped back with a head shake and looked expectantly at Lucy as she followed suit. "I guess it makes sense; I did take a year in training with the delta force dogs before I got stationed. "

He moved to the coffee maker where fresh black coffee sat waiting for him with two sugars and Lucy's green tea next to it. All that was left to do was address the giant elephant in the room.

Well, the two toddler elephants.

The stools that sat across from the kids on the opposite side of the counter scraped a little against the tiled floor and the two looked up to see the man and woman that they assumed were their parents.

Marilyn smiled quick with her small baby teeth and quipped out "Mornin'," with a fake country drawl that sounded eerily like Wyatt's when he's tired. Maxwell dimpled up with a "Hi," before both went about finishing their pancakes. 

Lucy felt her heart swell as both showed traits of Wyatt just with a simple greeting while Wyatt pouted a bit.

"Lucy taught her to mock me, didn't she?"

Lucy was quick to side smack his arm in protest, "Wyatt Logan, I would ne-"

"Yep," the female scientist sipped the coffee, "Among other things."

"Figures," Wyatt tutted before his attention was drawn to the two babbling to one another. "I know you guys have to leave at some point, but how will we know what to do?"

"I've been wondering the same thing," Lucy said leaning forth on her hands to watch the two.

Rufus decided to chime in, "Oh, we were just talking about this because I asked the same question!" Again, pleasant for him to be around, but not helpful for the situation at hand.

Jiya waved him off, "Glad to see you guys are waking up now. Your other selves took precautions for just about everything. That included if you guys ever came back to a new world where you now have kids and your life together compared to one where you guys didn't. So, they created this well detailed journal that was categorized and organized, table of contents and everything and printed it out. I'm sure it's in your room somewhere all printed out and in a binder. They updated it monthly and invested in doubles of some stuff."

"Doubles of what stuff exactly?"

"Like apple watches that are synced with your phone's calendar and alarms and reminders, alerts on current changes and set aside some emergency funds. Really this should all be in your closet safe, Wyatt."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, "I haven't even seen half the house, what makes you think I've scoped out a safe?"

"Someone's snippy," Jiya sang as she walked away with Rufus in tow.

"Daddy!" He damn near got whiplash at the speed which his head turned around to turn at Marilyn.

"Yes?" Lucy laughed at how strained it came out.

"May I please has more strawberry syrup?" She batted her eyelashes cutely at the man with her bottom lip poking out. Any restraint the delta force soldier was trained to carry was disregarded as he rushed to pour some more on the rest of her pancakes. "Thank you very much." She smiled with cheeks filled. His heart melted and the historian snickered.

"She's going to have her finger wrapped around your wallet at this rate, Logan." He glared back at her and continued to sip his coffee. "And Marilyn?"

"Yes, mommy?" Wyatt held back his own remarks with a knowing smirk when he saw her eyes go soft at the sweet tone. 

"Nothing, I was just going to say you should've said 'May I please  _have_ more strawberry syrup' in that sentence. "

"Luce, my god. How is she going to get that?" But to their surprise, the kids just gave a thumbs up and straightened in their seats. 

"Me first," Maxwell spoke up, "I  _have_  finished my breakfast, and Mari  _has_  not."

Gobsmacked could be used in a situation like this right?

Marilyn did a pseudo cough to have their attention gravitate towards her as she took her white nail polished hands and brushed her pony tail to the side, "Mommy likes to  _have_ tea meanwhile daddy  _has_ coffee."

" _No fucking way,"_  Wyatt whispered under his breath. He turned towards Lucy, "This? This is not normal!"

Lucy looked equally as shocked at the intelligence of the two and sipped the tea she had been nursing in her hands the entire time, "I wonder what subject they will excel in," she muttered. 

"Is that really where your mind is at right now, Preston?" 

"No," she lied.

Wyatt grabbed for an apple sitting in a fruit basket and replied back, "Yeah? Tell me another lie then," taking a hugely dramatic chunk out of the apple. 

"She's thinking of leaving you for me," a familiar voice sounded behind him that had him choking on the fruit and the kids giggling at the man behind their dad. 

Lucy hit on his back until he could breathe just fine.

"Grandpa Sherwin?" The tears were quick to his eyes and the old man's casted downwards in pity.

"Hey kiddo," he smiled. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do plan to continue updating and if you're interested in Fallout 4, I do plan to start a story with that as well so be on the look out.  
> Please feel free to comment and give kudos and bookmark since chapters should be updating more frequently now. Thank you!


	6. His Kingdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their first day with the twins and Sherwin.

**April 2nd, 2012**

  
_"I have to fucking go, Jessica."_

" _We're not done," her snap was bitter and filled Wyatt with dread and anger. "Who was that bitch you were talking to?"_

_"We're still on this? Where's your faith in me?"_

_"Gone since our break, Wyatt."_

_That hurt a fuck ton considering she was the one to call it off between them in the first place. He never even touched a girl since her._

_'How do I make it up to her?', that same question was reeling in his mind as she continued yelling._

_"Get a grip, it was no one."_

_"You're a fucking liar!"_

_"How the hell am I liar?" He shouted back, glancing at his watch to see he was now three hours late to meet with his grandfather for their fishing trip._

_She forced him to come back for only a week when she knew how difficult it would be for him to even try to come home; the least she could do was let him have one day off from her._

_"Who was she?"_

_"Our fucking landlord!"_

_"Oh right, I'm sure it was. She's a fucking blonde you know."_

_"Yeah and guess what, Jessica, you can dye your hair which is exactly what she did."_

_"Then why was she smiling at you, dick?"_

_This was ridiculous, he had to get going now._

_"Jess I have to go," he tried pathetically._

_"Answer the damn question!"_

_"She was smiling at me in pity, Jess! Because you forgot to pay the rent when I was covering the utilities for this month! She pitied me because I begged her to give us a chance and I would have to pay her back!"_

_"That's just fucking bulls-," the sound of his phone cut through her scolding and she huffed, "Well fucking answer it!"_

_He dug the phone out of his pants and answered with a cough to clear this tone, "Hello?"_

_The voice was calm and respectful on the other end, "Hi, this is Riverside Hospital calling, is this Wyatt Logan?" His heart hammered in his chest as he stuttered out "yes". "Hi, we're calling to inform you that we have you listed under Sherwin Logan's emergency contacts and the only available next of kin; we regret to inform you that he had a heart attack and is currently in ICU."_

_Wyatt was already out the door with a Jessica screaming behind him as he jumped into his truck and pulled out for an hour drive._

**Present day**

Was it a little childish that Wyatt couldn't formulate a response and had to have Lucy give an apologetic look to the elderly man and haul his ass to their now shared bedroom?

Yeah, probably.

It's safe to assume the man knew about time travel given his calm and expected response to Wyatt being surprised at his, well, his liveliness.

"Wyatt, Wyatt look at me." His breathing was erratic and his eyes dazed, his hand pressed tightly against his chest and his eyes were watering more and more as tears trickled down. "Wyatt?"

"I, I can't," he stuttered as his heart was beating wildly against his chest in what felt like an oncoming panic attack.

" _You coming, kid? You're late."_

_"I know, I'm sorry. Jess is mad about something and it'll get worse if I just leave."_

_"Her again? She's sucking the youth and joy out of you. Hurry on over here, I'm not getting any younger, kid. Love you."_

Her hand reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, somewhere in the back of her mind she acknowledged the screensavers and how her thumbprint was in his phone to begin with, sending a text to Jiya that said he needed a minute and to catch Sherwin up to speed.

The phone was tossed to the bed and her soft hands cradled his face as she spoke softly, "Wyatt, sweetheart? I need you to look at me." The wild blue eyes she loved very much caught hers and she felt all his emotions at once. "Hi, Logan." She tried calmly. He tried to respond but no words came out and his bottom lip quivered even more as he looked frantically at her face.

Lucy already figured his grandfather had passed and granted, she wasn't as shellshocked as he was to see him alive and well, but she understood the severity of it all and knew this would take more time and patience and less of her being reserved and locked away.

She walked towards him with enough force to push his dazed, strong build back until his knees buckled and hit the bed, falling to sit on it. His head fell to his hands that rested on his knees, she saw the rapid stream of tears hit the floor as small whimpers escaped him.

Lucy crouched down to meet his eyes and placed one hand on his cheek, her thumb stroking up and down in what could be considered a loving gesture she allowed herself to give him in this moment.

Her heart broke as another whimper came from him and he tightened his lips shut in a poor attempt to stop them from leaving more. His top lip twitched in the corner and his bottom lip let out another quiver.

_'How the hell are you supposed to tell the woman you would devote your life to that you need her more than anything right now, when you screwed up in more ways than one?'_

"Wyatt?" The baby blues locked on her and another sound escaped as an unasked question hit her, prompting a nod from the woman who's own eyes watered at the sight before her.

Wyatt's arms moved around her waist and she moved to sit on his lap, his face buried in her exposed neck as she felt hot tears hit her skin and glide down, the muffled sounds that broke her heart vibrated against her heart.

She'd seen his eyes water a few times before but never him become so distraught and have memories flash across his face that left him traumatized.

"I'm so fucking sorry," he gasped against her, unable to stop.

She was quick to deny his apology, "Sh, it's okay, sweetheart. You're perfectly fine." Her hand worked its way into his hair and brushed through it gently as she silently managed to rock them back and forth.

Several minutes passed until it was a hiccup every now and then, "Can you talk to me now?" He nodded, his hair tickling the side of her neck.

He didn't pull away, probably scared to see her after what just happened.

"I was supposed to take him fishing one day, planned to meet up at a fish lodging campsite, Jess started this nasty argument and made me late, he waited for me and had a heart attack." He held her tighter as another tear slipped loose and his voice cracked, "He was on one of the least popular fishing ponds in the area and wasn't discovered until two hours later in the grass. I was three hours late, took an hour to get to the hospital. They said had he been discovered earlier he would've received the proper medical treatment needed to increase his chance of survival but his pulse was barely there at the hospital. He died before I made it." His story had pauses and moments where he struggled to get the next words out but she knew he was trying for her.

"It wasn't your fault, sweetheart." The nickname gave comfort to him in more ways than one and knew it was only meant for him.

"I know," he breathed the vanilla spice smell that lingered off her skin mixed with his cologne.

"You did well, Wyatt." Her hand didn't stop combing through his hair, neither did the one that was wrapped around his shoulder that stroked up and down did either. "Don't blame yourself for the past, you did everything you could then and it was just bad timing. You have your second chance now."

"Okay," he mumbled against her neck.

Her lips pressed to his hair for several seconds before she gently moved his face to stare up at hers, her thumbs wiping away at his tears that slowed down. "You're okay, alright? This? This was okay as well, don't be ashamed of this like I know you'll be in a few minutes. You're human, it's only natural to break at some point. Never be ashamed to drop the strong soldier persona away for a moment or two because I'll be here to help you through it." She pressed her lips to his forehead as his eyes closed briefly at the gesture, "I promise."

He wanted to say something, he desperately wanted to say so many things, but his mouth shut and he nodded, grateful she did this much for him.

She carefully got up and off his lap, ruffling his hair a bit before checking around the room for a safe.

"Found it!" She shouted out from the walk-in closet, changing the mood of the room. He heard the PIN number beeps before a different pitched one and she was walking out with a binder and two watches, along with an iPad and laptop. "God, could we be any more cliché? The pin was the day we met." She looked between the watch bands, "I'm assuming this all black one is yours," giving him the watch and working to put the rose gold one on herself. Finally picking up her phone that sat charging since last night.

She was greeted by a lock screen of a perfectly captured moment between Wyatt and the kids that had to have been taken on some fancy photo mode or with a professional camera. Wyatt was laying on his stomach on the floor -with a mess of pillows -watching some kids movie with his eyes trained on the screen and the blues of them shining vibrantly from the tv's soft glow as both Maxwell and Marilyn each settled on different shoulders, laying down with their fists propping up their chubby cheeks, both small enough to fit on his back together without weighing Wyatt down, and both entranced by the movie as well with the same blue eyes just like Wyatt's beautifully captured.

The home screen surprised her the minute it was unlocked.

It was Wyatt, after their first mission during the crash of the Hindenburg with his face all bloodied as it was and busted up but he had the biggest and most beautiful smile on his face, clearly staring at Lucy through the camera with complete adoration in his eyes.

She hated blood and seeing Wyatt hurt, but she couldn't blame her alter self for setting this as a screen. It reminded her that Wyatt could always bounce back and no matter how serious the situation was, he could always shed some light on the darkness that followed.

And it was most likely he was running on the adrenaline with his -already then- wife and glad she was safe and got to experience one of her dreams of living in the past.

The more she stared at it, the more a smile threatened to show.

"What are you doing?" He said, standing over her shoulder. His voice was a little raspy and raw but she wasn't going to point that out anytime soon.

"Nothing, you just photograph really well apparently." His lips quipped up at the sound of her giggle but he threw a mock glare her way.

"I could've told you that," he teased, taking a glance at the photo that alter Lucy set as her screen. "What the hell? I look ridiculous, Preston."

"I don't know, I think it's cute." And just like that, she was turned around and rummaging through stuff. "We can get to the binder later, I've got my phone synced and I assume you do as well." He nodded. "You ready?"

"As ready as I can be," he replied as he followed her downstairs, her hand briefly intertwined with his, giving a good squeeze to remind him she was there, before she made her way through the arch that connected the big kitchen to the huge living room.

Sherwin sat in a chair, watching a kid's show that was left on the tv as Marilyn sat on his lap purely enjoying it.

"What the heck kind of dog is even blue to begin with?" Wyatt knew he was offering him a chance to start out a conversation and was grateful when he sat down near Sherwin.

"The kind that leaves behind clues," he tried, prompting that same throaty laugh from the man he grew up used to.

"That was a good one kid, I'll give you that." Marilyn's attention turned towards her father that sat with his eyes nervously locked on the tv.

"Hi!" She said, scrambling off Sherwin's lap and leaping from the arm rest to the spot near Wyatt's thigh.

"Hi," his voice was meek against the girl who pressed the tip of her nose to his and was staring him dead on.

His grandfather turned around laughing, "She's rambunctious and free spirited, you have plenty of nicknames for her too.", providing some information to the kid he didn't know how to address.

Wyatt made room as she made herself comfortable on his lap, her back encased between his side and his arm, her face smushed against his rib cage.

"What are they?" His eyes trained down on her as she watched intently what Blue was doing and her hand absentmindedly played with the drawstring of his zip up hoodie.

"Well, what nicknames can you think of or see yourself calling her?"

He thought for a beat, grateful for the man trying to help him out.

"I don't know, Mari, MariMari, Lynny, Lil Luce, things like that?"

"Damn kid, you're spot on." He fully turned towards him, "Now, tell me about your world." The fixation left in his eyes had Wyatt startled but he cleared his throat.

Marilyn's other hand was playing with his fingers as she giggled along to Blue's Clues, he almost smiled hearing the likeliness of Lucy's giggle in hers.

"Well, for starters, I was only a parent of a plant that died three weeks into buying it." Sherwin was shocked at the news and took a look at the girl in his grandson's lap then towards the kitchen where Lucy nodded along to whatever Maxwell said. "I was still a delta force soldier but I threw myself into my work in the recent years until Mason industries requested strong candidates to help with a mission. Something changed last time because of me and now all of this," he gestured around with his free hand, "has happened."

He sat back, "Kiddo, how the hell were you not a father? You've been in love with LucyLuce since you first met her and the moment you got back, you planned to marry her and start a family."

"I didn't meet her until I started working at Mason Industries, I had to protect her and Rufus."

Sherwin frowned deeply, "No LucyLuce?"

"No, I was married to Jessica beforehand," Wyatt didn't get to finish as Sherwin threw up his hands in annoyance.

Wyatt forgot his grandfather had a flair for being dramatic at times to lighten the mood.

"Enough of that bitch," he huffed angrily.

"Gramps!" Marilyn shouted in disapproval, glaring him with a look she could've only gotten from Lucy.

"Sorry, I meant the word 'witch', Mari." His attention went back to Wyatt, "She never deserved your time or the chance to be married to you. All she did was make you miserable and guilt you into self loathing."

"She was murdered in my timeline and then came back after one mission," he added wondering how that would change his view.

"She's still evil. I bet she guilted you as soon as she showed up again, didn't she?" Wyatt didn't answer and his grandfather puffed out his chest, "I'll take her on."

Wyatt finally felt relaxed and laughed at his bold statement, his hand subconsciously playing with Marilyn's, "What?"

"Next time I see her? Whew boy, it's gonna be fisticuffs for sure."

"Gramps, no." He barked out a laugh some more.

"A showdown if you will, kiddo."

"Please stop."

"Outside the ol' saloon."

"Please."

"At sundown."

"No."

The tv started singing about a letter and Sherwin turned around, "Ah! My favorite part! I wonder who it's from."

"Oh my god."  
~*~

"What's 2+2?"

"4."

"How does Lincoln's Gettysburg address start out?"

"Four score and seven years ago,"

"The start of the constitution?"

"We the people of the United States, in order to from a more perfect union-"

She forced herself to get the next word out since it was going to have to be used for awhile.

"Daddy's favorite sport?"

"NASCAR, vroom."

"Mommy's original hair state?"

"Curly,"

"Daddy's favorite alcoholic drink?"

"Whiskey on the rocks,"

"Rufus's favorite snack?"

"Chocodiles,"

"Word you know but shouldn't know?"

"Lifeboat!"

Lucy sat back in her chair impressed, "You're good kid."

He sniffed and Lucy made a mental note to check the binder later, "I know."

There was a beat of silence before Maxwell spoke up, "Is Daddy okay?"

Lucy was caught off guard before she trained her face to smile reassuringly, "Of course he is, why do you ask?"

"Daddy stopped smiling and his eyes were too blue, they were too pretty and sad."

Lucy felt her heart shatter a bit at his statement knowing all too well she thought the same thing when he was sad.

"You know what we call that?" He shook his head no, his dark sandy locks bouncing. "Bittersweet."

"Like when you and Daddy leave for work but do it to keep our family safe?"

_'How the hell is this kid so profound?'_

"Yeah, like that."

Maxwell was drinking his sippy cup and staring off into space before his eyes fixated on her, "Daddy makes Mommy happy."

"Daddy can do that, yes."

"Daddy has a lot of ruling over Mommy's feelings, like a king and his kingdom." Maxwell pointed to his chest, "His kingdom is your heart."

_'Don't lose your resolve over a smart toddler's inner thoughts,'_ she thought harshly to herself.

"Mommy makes Daddy very happy, but Daddy's heart breaks when his kingdom hurts."

She stood up quickly, "You're out of juice, let me fill that up?" Maxwell climbed down the chair and waited patiently as she filled it back up and secured the lid.

He hugged her around her neck when she bent down to give it to him and pecked her cheek, murmuring a "thank you" before walking to the living room to sit with Marilyn that was back on Sherwin's lap.

She heard the fridge open behind her as she zoned out, "You think we would've gotten avocados? I feel like making guacamole." The door closed to check the front where there was a shopping list held by magnets. "So it is here."

He turned to Lucy, planning to ask if she would like some when he felt her small frame fit into his.

"Luce?" His hands hovered over her, unsure what to do or what was wrong.

"I just, need a minute with you."

"Okay," one arm wrapped around her small waist as the other gently held the back of her neck, her arms wrapped tightly to his waist as her face laid against his chest.

His heartbeat rang in her ear, picking up speed as she nuzzled into him and reminding her she still held some of his emotions.

She backed away and held both of his hands to express her gratitude, "We're going to be fine, Lucy. Don't worry." He kissed her cheek and gave her a quick squeeze of a hug before starting to make his dip as she ventured out into the living room, sitting down with the two kids to watch the old 90's to early 2000's kid show classics air their reruns.

"Ah! LucyLuce, my ray of sunshine!" Sherwin was an old man that was tall and had a strong build, he looked like a more well defined version of Wyatt that's been worn down and handsome beyond his years, especially when he also flashed a well pronounced dimple smile at Lucy. "How are you with this change?"

She smiled, "Honestly freaking out a bit, but I'll grow used to it probably."

He grabbed her hand carefully, "Well let me introduce myself like a proper southern gentleman, my dear. I am Sherwin Logan, Wyatt's more handsome grandfather. I'd look better but the troublemaker stole some of my youth through the years." He winked with that same Logan charm Wyatt used on her plenty of times -and on missions to get their way through - before pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "The pleasure is mine, ma'am."

"She only lets me call her that," Wyatt said as he set a tray down on the coffee table for anyone to have their share of chips and dip. Wyatt sat down on the other side of Maxwell leaning close to her, "Right, ma'am?" His notorious smirk never took a day off in its life to tease her to no end.

"Eyes front and center, ma'am!" Maxwell proclaimed pointing to the tv as he sipped furiously on his sippy cup. Wyatt's eyebrow only quirked but his eyes never left her.

"I'll have my chance to win her over someday, kiddo. She'll want a true Texas gentleman for sure."

"Not if I win first, Sher."

"Oh look, the wonderpets are getting a call." Lucy said as she puffed her cheeks a bit, willing the blush to go down.

Wyatt swallowed his chip down, "You know one time, there was a storm at our base and it happened to be on the day channels got switched around to different locations, like how the sports one was from channel 19 to channel 37. Anyways, there was a big storm and the buttons were screwy on the tv and the main room we relaxed in got flooded a bit only by a few inches but it was enough to destroy the inside of the remote that was in the chair's pocket on the side. I spent I don't know how many months watching Kid's Noggin or Nick Jr, whatever the hell it was."

Sherwin let out a hearty laugh and slapped his thigh, opening his mouth to throw a smart ass reply in Wyatt's direction when the doorbell rang.

Wyatt and Lucy glanced at one another in confusion.

"Didn't Rufus and Jiya say there were going to hang out in the basement?" Lucy asked, prompting a shrug from him.

"Well, I ain't getting the door, I just found the prime spot in this chair." Sherwin nestled himself further down into the recliner to prove a point.

Wyatt stood up with a little Maxwell walking after him and scooped him up to hold him against his side.

The door opened to a delivery man that smiled, "Hello, package for Wyatt Logan."

"That's me," he signed his name for the parcel and closed the door with his hip after receiving it.

Lucy inched over to him when he sat down on the couch with Maxwell on his lap and Marilyn peering over his shoulder to see.

"What is it?" Lucy said looking at the address label. Wyatt only drugged and ripped the plush envelope open, prompting a slightly bigger than usual ring box to fall out.

"Oh, they finished quickly," Sherwin said, abruptly turning towards the show.

"What did they finish?" Wyatt said a little annoyed with not knowing, especially after his vague response.

"You sent your rings to get cleaned and polished a week ago after one mission. It was kinda funny, Lucy insisted on getting them cleaned and then Wyatt was all, 'There's no way I'm sending off a ring I carried around in my bulletproof vest for two years' macho deal." His throaty laugh seemed to bounce off the wall that currently sealed the ongoing anxiety Wyatt and Lucy felt already.

Marilyn jumped up, hanging onto Wyatt's neck looking down at the rings, "Daddy put the ring on Mommy!"

Sherwin's laugh grew louder at the notion as the two adults were stammering under a toddler's demand.

"I don't think that's a good idea, honey" Lucy started while Maxwell began to take the feminine ring out and place it firmly in Wyatt's hand.

"Do it."

"I'm not sure," Wyatt tried, fumbling for words.

The infamous twin pleading started as they held out a dramatic "please" without pause.

Wyatt caught her honey brown eyes with a panic.

_'This feels like too much.'_

_'I know.'_

_'Wearing a ring is sealing the role.'_

_'Can we handle it?'_

_'We've handled worse, haven't we?'_

Wyatt's demeanor changed to one of playful annoyance that Lucy could tell was feigned, "Alright alright, you win. I'll give Mommy the ring." His eyes wavered when they reached her, and his heart hammered against his chest at the symbolic meaning of a wedding ring as he slowly slid it on her finger.

The twins cheered and settled down to watch their show as their parents stood up.

"Hey, gramps we're going to head to the basement to talk with Rufus and Jiya. Can you please watch them?"

He squirmed in his seat, "Watching my favorite set of twins? I don't know about that." A teasing tone came off that captured him in the arms of the kids as Lucy and Wyatt walked downstairs.

There basement was one that suited the entire perimeter of the house and was sectioned off.

"Why call it a basement if it's essentially another floor with different rooms?" Wyatt huffed as he peaked around one wall to find what looked like a man cave (most likely where the team hung out to unwind).

"I know, I live for simplicity but this seems like too much." Her hand trailed down the brick decal of the walls with the rough texture.

None noticed Jiya watching them with supplies in hand.

"You should've seen the house you lived in before; the definition of simplicity in my opinion."

Lucy turned to her, "So why this house?"

"Oh, because of Rittenhouse. You know, being after you guys and such."

Wyatt eyed the pool cue rack and retro arcade machines -clearly meant for Jiya and Rufus if the names Solo4TheWin and Spock'sFlock meant anything on the scoreboard. His hand trailed the knobs, "Seems a little obvious to just move, doesn't it?"

"Not when Carol knows how Lucy strays away from anything that draws attention to her and you live off the necessities and small stuff." She shuffled more papers around, "Plus Logan isn't necessarily an uncommon name and based off Homeland securities advantages, your address has false names for you when they try to search you up."

His hair tickled Lucy's forehead when he leaned in, "Seems like married us had it all figured out."

Her scoff and eye roll made a comeback as his lip tugged up.

"I'm almost jealous."

"If you two are done being cute now, we have some stuff to figure out," Rufus said as he walked out of the opposite room with binders in tow.

~*~

Wyatt later made dinner that night with the ingredients for a sesame seed chicken recipe and had Lucy assist with the side serving of salad -because how could she mess that up? Really.

Did Lucy find it attractive that the hotheaded soldier was capable of cooking? Nope, not in the slightest. Of course not.

7:30 rolled around which came time to put the twins to bed as their alarms alerted them.

"Teeth brushed?" Wyatt asked skeptically with a playful glare. Maxwell and Marilyn gave a baby tooth grin in return.

"Pajamas on?" The brunette said beside Wyatt's side.  Maxwell stood up in his bed with blue pajama pants and a white shirt with a dog on it.

Wyatt turned to the other twin, "Mari?"

She uncovered herself to show a cute nightgown with a butterfly print.

"It's time to go to bed guys," Lucy said as they each took a twin to tuck in and kiss goodnight before switching to the other. They both headed for the door, Wyatt's hand resting over her back as he followed behind with the door closing after him. "Goodnight."

There was a mixture of sleepy voices, "Night, we love you."

_Right, another aspect of having children: affection._

Wyatt's hand tensing and her back straightening didn't go unnoticed to either one as they both pushed through the never anxiety this world has caused them, "We love you too."

He leaned against the wall of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand with a bottle of Colgate nestled right besides it, thumb flicking the cap absentmindedly.

His back was pressed against the cool gray wall that made goosebumps stand until they died down, eyes trained to the flannel bottoms he wore. Millions of thoughts raced inside his head about their newfound marriage, their twins, his grandfather, everything.

Even the dog he could hear following Lucy around the room.

_Lucy_.

Everything about her pulled Wyatt in; made him reevaluate all the choices he'd make or consider making.

That night he knocked on her door and confessed his plans to get Jessica back by stealing the Lifeboat, he felt true dread that night.

Dread that quickly overcame his obsession to right his wrongs, fix the mistakes that has been plaguing and clawing at him since he drove away from Jess that one day. Yes, he loved her. He thought the world of her and thought she was this light and enigma and, and this knife. A knife which repeatedly stabbed into his heart and back.

There were so many good moments between them and he focused on those memories more often than all the bad times that left him wounded and hurt his pride; made him feel lesser of a man and insecure. She knew the right words to say to kick him out and pull him back in.

_"Wyatt, please? I want a son", she had a nice laugh, one that could fool him out of a nightmare if she really wanted it to._

_"Relax, Jess. We've got all the time in the world."_

_"This? It's not working out. We need to end things."_

_"Jessica, please. I can't lose you too."_

_"No, Wyatt. I'm done."_

_"Wyatt and I? We're high school sweethearts and have been in love before we knew what it was."_

_"Best six months of my life by the way."_

The voices of her in the back of his swarmed constantly and kept him on edge as to whether she loved him or not.

But, he had to. He had to feel something for her if he kept going back to her and her the same.

Or was it the fear of being alone and forgotten? The guilt that with someone -even as twisted and complicated as Jess was- to die because of him that was innocent, maybe that weighed him down too. Or he was programmed and trained by her to feel the blame fall on him each time and being forced to fix it by habit.

He'd gone to Lucy that night. Wasn't really sure why he was on her doorstep so late until she answered in pajamas with messy hair and no makeup on.

It was different than the times where she didn't need to wear any or it wore off while on a mission.

This was just her.

And she was this beacon that kept him finding her in the darkness that was himself.

_This, this is why he came._

And he told her. And she looked like she hated the idea but respected his decision nonetheless. And she wanted to help. And she cried.

She cried and he swallowed down the bile in his throat for being the reason.

He hates seeing her cry.

She was right when it felt like they were saying goodbye to one another. It hurt him too. Even then, she asked him what she needed to do to help him.

_Stop me._

_Tell me it's a lost cause. Feed me some bullshit answer that I can buy. Don't let me leave._

He came to her because she was his way out, they both just didn't know then.

"Wyatt?" Her presence startled him as she withdrew the hand that poked his cheek in the dark.

"Sorry."

"Why are you just standing in the dark? Looks like you're waiting to get the drop on someone."

His smirk came into view as she turned around with the lights flicking on after her, "Of course not."

"Oh." She said.

"What?"

"You sleep shirtless?" She said as pink dusted her cheeks and her gaze focused intently on her own toothbrush.

His breath hitched in his throat when he looked at her for a smart ass reply, "Says the woman that wears a T-shirt without pants."

"It's big on me so it covers what shorts would cover," she said yanking the toothpaste out of his hands.

"Right," he replied as he stood near her and lifted the toothbrush to his face, "Wait," his hand grabbed at her hip and turned her towards him.

Her small frame was covered by a worn gray T-shirt that reached her thighs and had his old high school mascot and the name of his football team.

"Preston, are you wearing my shirt?" His tone was teasing but his heart hammering against his chest proved otherwise.

"What? I'm sorry, I didn't realize. It was in her side of the dresser and I had a few similar that I thought nothing of it." Her rambling -amusing as always - eased back the tension that set in his face and his shoulders dropped.

His signature semi failed suppressed smile resurfaced as he grabbed her shoulders with both hands, moving the toothbrush between his thumb and index finger as he had her face away from the mirror, "Uh huh, and my name on the back didn't give you any indication it belonged to me either?"

Her head turned to look over her shoulder. Sure enough, "Logan" was displayed in royal blue letters with a number 3 underneath.

"Oh," was all she said.

"You've already said that."

"Why 3?" They both stood in the mirror. She looked so small and fragile compared to his trained delta force figure.

Wyatt Logan’s height wasn’t exactly tall per say, anyone could see that with his height having to stand at 5’10 maybe? But it was evident that he was opposing and threatening and clearly able to take down anyone that stood in his way or towered over him. And almost every girl they passed gave him more than a once-over several times.

It’s not like he was the only one to gain the attention of strangers though: countless historical figures like Ian Fleming and Robert Todd Lincoln flocked towards Lucy just from a mere glance and trusted every word that slipped from her lips.

They couldn’t be blamed though, Wyatt knew that for sure. But even as his eyes roamed over her fresh cleaned and bare face in his shirt, he also knew why he felt a twinge of jealousy at the mere thought of them.

“Why 3? Dunno, it was just also a lucky number- that or it was just consistent.”

“Like, I don’t know, workin in a team of three? Having three friends? Three new lives to live with - despite one being a dog.” She spoke while trying to keep toothpaste in her mouth.

He snorted, “Yeah, that’d be it.”

“Surprised you have one, since you would speak against fate and such.” She placed a headband on and dragged a silver plate with skin care products over to her, “I’m sorry though, I’ll change into something else she has in her drawers after I’m done washing up.”

Wyatt sat against the tub rim, watching her in adoration as she never noticed. “You know, at some point you’re going to have to start accepting her life and things as your own.”

“And shouldn’t you follow your own advise? Or try to at least?” Her honey colored eyes met his blue ones and he felt himself become small under her scrutinizing gaze.

“Yeah, I know. It’s just easier to say than, I don’t know, do I guess.” A hand found its way to the back of his hair, “And for the shirt, you can just keep it.”

“No it’s fine, I can return it.”

“Lucy, it’s okay. It suits you and it probably wouldn’t even fit me.”

Lucy looked him up and down, “Yeah, I can see that.”

“You checking me out, Preston?”

“Of course not, no.”

“Mhm sure, c’mon,” his hand stretched out to Lucy, “Let’s go study up on the children we created apparently.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'll try to update often.


End file.
